[Pokémon] The End

[Delirious Absol]

33 – Trouble​

Yurlik was woken up from a deep sleep as the tree he was perched in shook violently. He squawked and flapped his wings wildly to try and gain his balance and fend off several Murkrow as they shot into the air in a flurry of feathers and alarmed caws.

"What the..." Yurlik steadied his frantic breathing and looked down at the ground below.

A Deino stood shaking its head, the dark mark above his nose evidence of his impact with the tree's trunk.

Yurlik sighed and leapt from the tree, gliding to the ground where he landed heavily.

"What is it?" he asked the dragon Pokemon.

"Ah, Yurlik!" The Deino turned, facing in the complete opposite direction. "Lord Hydreigon is looking for you!"

"And he sent you?"

"Yes!" The Deino sniffed the air for a moment then turned to face the tree. "It's urgent. He commands your presence immediately."

"Really? Well, I should make haste." The Honchkrow flapped his large wings and rose into the air. "Goodness knows how long he's been waiting if he sent one of you to find me."

"Hey! I followed your smell!" the Deino barked.

"Yet you are addressing a tree." Yurlik turned and flew towards the large castle.

The Deino scurried along the floor, speeding on ahead of him. It looked like he was making good progress until he collided with two other Deino and the three of them snapped at each other, raking large wounds across their necks and backs with their wicked teeth.

Yurlik tutted at them and lowered himself in the air, landing at the door of the large castle. He rapped on it twice with his beak and waited until the doors swung inward.

A Weavile stood there and gave him a nasty sneer. "You're late."

"Well, who sent a Deino?" Yurlik pushed past him, brushing him aside with his wing and marched down the marble hallway.

"Stupid excuse. You know he won't accept that!"

Yurlik muttered under his voice and stopped at the throne room door. He took a steadying breath then tapped on it.

"That had better be Yurlik!" As muffled as the voice was by the door, the anger was not masked at all.

Yurlik felt his blood run cold. He braced himself and pushed the doors open.

Hydreigon lay in the shadows, his red eyes gleaming out from his dark face.

"There you are!" the dragon boomed. "Where have you been? Slacking off again?!"

"I would have come sooner," Yurlik stuttered, "but the Deino... you know they're blind, my lord, they-"

"No excuses!" Hydreigon let out a low growl then raised his head to stare down at the shivering Honchkrow. "I am growing impatient, Yurlik. I want to know what has become of Harlequin and Enigma?"

"Oh those two?" His remark didn't settle well with the large dragon. He took a step back with a glance to judge the distance between himself and the door. "They... they've been gone for-"

"Several days," said Hydreigon. "And I have heard... nothing."

Yurlik shook his head. "I've no idea. But something is going on out there, my lord. The Murkrow numbers have been dropping as many aren't making it back here."

Hydreigon clicked his tongue and fixed Yurlik with a cold, terrifying glare.

"I don't care about your flock, Yurlik. I want answers! And I want that Whimsicott here, so I can deal with it." He paused, watching the Honchkrow cower low to the ground. "Go! Take as many of your Murkrow as it needs to find out what has become of my assassins, and bring that Whimsicott back here!" He finished with a low growl.

Yurlik stuttered and backed out of the room. "Yes. Off course. Right away."

He closed the doors behind him, watching as countless floating feathers got jammed between the heavy panels. At this rate, the stress was going to send him bald.

The Weavile chuckled behind him. "You got scolded?"

Yurlik snapped his beak at him, causing the Weavile to leap aside and shoot him a mocking sneer.

"You better be quick," the Weavile told him. "'Cos he's getting mad. And when he gets mad, we all suffer."

Yurlik stared over his shoulder at him and ruffled his feathers. He turned sharply and marched back out of the castle.

The Weavile was right. He had to be quick or the entire Shadow Lands would know the dark dragon's anger.

...​

The cage was complete.

Rio stood back to admire it. It hung from a thick iron chain in the ceiling, hovering a mere couple of inches from the floor. The plastic base separated it from the iron bars, which would eventually have electricity running through them thanks to the two electric Pokemon.

It was flawless.

Now all that was left to do was to track down Enigma.

He turned to address Mint and Tantrum.

"Now this is finished, it is time to put my plan into action." He glanced back at the cage. "Catch Enigma."

Tantrum snorted, briefly drowning out Mint's nervous mumbling. "How're we gonna track down a ghost Pokemon?"

Rio paused and licked his lips. He hadn't really considered that. This would probably be quite tricky.

"You don't know, do you?" said Mint. "You've not planned this far ahead."

Rio let out a flustered breath and ran his paw over his head. "Then we just need to make a plan."

Tantrum crossed his arms. "It'll need to be a good'un. 'Cos this is a ghost we're talkin' about. And I doubt he's gonna come easily."

"No."

"Not t'mention he's lookin' for that Whimsicott."

"Yes." Rio chuckled. "Yes, he is."

"Why are you laughing?" Mint asked.

"Because this just became simple." He fixed his blue eyes on Mint and smiled. "We just track down the Whimsicott again, but instead of catching him, we wait for Enigma to show himself and launch our attack."

Mint frowned. "How is that simple?"

"Yeh," snorted Tantrum. "They could be anywhere."

"Yes, but the difference between hunting them down and hunting Enigma down is very different. They need to sleep, he doesn't. He can warp, they can't. They'll have covered much less ground."

Mint and Tantrum exchanged glances and Mint sighed.

"Okay." She shrugged. "You have a point. Now how do we find them?"

"We split up in pairs," said Rio. "And when one of us finds them, they send message."

"How?"

"One of the pair breaks off and tracks down the nearest pair, passes the message and rejoins their partner as the other pair breaks off and so on and so forth."

"Sounds rather convoluted," said Tantrum. "I aint impressed, Rio. This is a little poor for you."

Rio crossed his arms. "Well, do either of you have a better idea?"

"Yes," said Mint. "We catch the Whimsicott and use him as bait."

"But they got away, and that Whimsicott is volatile!"

Mint tutted. "Not any more volatile than Enigma."

Rio stared at her for a moment. She had a point. He ran his paw over his head again and glanced away from them as he tried to formulate another plan.

Nothing came. They were at a loss.

"She's right on one thing, boss," said Tantrum. "He'll be easier to catch if we have somethin' he wants."

"But the only thing he wants is the Whimsicott."

"Yeh." Tantrum scratched his chin. "But can we fashion somethin' else? Tell him we found somethin' that'll pique his interest."

"A fake bribe?" Rio looked at him. "That's... genius!" He chuckled. "I never expected that of you, Tantrum!"

"Heh heh! Thanks... wait..." Tantrum frowned. "Hey!"

Rio paced back to the cage. "A fake bribe... okay. Then we need to get planning."

"Why don't we just tell him we found something," Mint suggested. "We don't have to go into detail. We found something that concerns the Shadow Lands. That should get his attention."

"Yeh," said Tantrum. "It worked on Boomer."

Rio considered this, his face twisting into a smile. He looked back at them and grinned.

"Perfect. Send someone out to find him." He paused and looked out of the window. "Preferably someone with wings."

"We don't have someone with wings," said Tantrum. "He killed him, remember?"

Rio tutted and looked up at the ceiling. "Then you go. On foot."

Tantrum grumbled and made for the door. "I'll find us a new messenger."

...​

Where the forest canopy was clear, stars still shone brightly over head. It had been over an hour since Enigma had watched Faith head back to her tent.

He warped his way across the treetops, ignoring the sharp pain in his ribs. He wasn't going to let that hindrance slow him down. He needed to cover as much ground as possible if he was going to find that Heretic lab again.

This forest all looked the same, but he was persistent. The air was filled with the ring from his bell as he vanished and reappeared amongst the branches, landing in each one with less grace and agility than he normally possessed.

Maybe this was a mistake?

No... he wasn't going to think like that. Even if his condition wasn't perfect, they were puny Heretics with no type advantage over him. He could take them. All he needed to do was swat them aside if they didn't tell him what he needed to know.

Wait... what was that?

He came to a sharp stop, clutching the swaying branch in one paw as he peered down at a moving shape below. A Vigoroth, just casually strolling through the forest. He paused, looking around as if searching for something (or just making sure it was safe) before moving on. But that Vigoroth seemed rather familiar. He'd seen him before.

Enigma nibbled his claw thoughtfully, searching his mind to try and place that Pokemon. Aha! He grinned and looked back at the spot the Vigoroth had come from. It was one of Rio's friends. He'd seen him trying to control that Tyranitar. He worked at the lab.

Enigma launched himself across the branches, his bell leaving a chiming trail behind him. The trees opened out, creating a large clearing, and there in the middle of it was the squat lab. Thick black soot marks stretched out across the white surface from a wide window, but despite the visible damage, the building still looked sturdy and inhabited.

A small movement caught his eye – another Pokemon moving around despite the fact it was the dead of night. A Furret... a female Furret... and she looked worried.

He crept closer, keeping a watchful eye on the lab for any other Pokemon that might still be awake.

"Where are you?" the Furret whispered. "Scout? You know you can't go out at night, stop playing games!" Her voice became more plaintive and audible, and she clasped her paws to her chest as she paused by the trees.

She was missing someone. He didn't remember seeing her at the lab. Maybe she could tell him where Rio was so he could sneak in and avoid dealing with any of his guards?

Enigma chuckled. She might be more fun than that Mawile.

He warped from the branches and materialised before her, snatching her arm in his paw. She let out a loud shriek and he jerked her arm, causing her to lose her balance and fall onto her back on the grass.

"Shush!" he hissed.

"No!" she wailed. "I'm just looking for my son! Leave me alone, please! I'm all he has!"

"Then stop screaming." He placed his claws over her throat, but with every struggle she gave it caused pain to radiate through his body.

He could feel his own heart racing. If it was this difficult to deal with one feeble Pokemon, he was actually dreading her screams attracting more of them.

"Where's Rio?" he demanded.

She didn't listen. Her screams and flails became more frantic as he pressed his claws into her neck. He was wasting precious time. He needed to silence this fool quickly.

A sharp zap ran through his body and every muscle stiffened. He fell sideways off the Furret and she stood up, scrambling back from him on all-fours. But her eyes were drawn away from him towards the building.

"Well that was easy," came a garbled voice.

"Yeh," grumbled another. "You'd think someone like him would be harder to take down."

Enigma strained to look up at the speakers. A Raichu... and a Heliolisk. So they'd paralysed him...

"Let's get him inside," said the Raichu. "Oh, Rio's gonna be happy with this."

The Heliolisk laughed and strutted closer to him. The last thing Enigma saw was the sun-shaped frill expand out from his neck as a violent surge of electricity ran through his body.

 

[Delirious Absol]

34 – Infected​

Harbinger sat on the edge of a cliff overlooking the wasted town, crushed by the avalanche. The sun was rising, casting the sky in a rusty orange and filling the valley with blotchy shadows across the jagged debris. Few Pokemon were left in that town. Most had either been killed or had left, as it was much too dangerous to stay. The risk of another avalanche was too high.

He didn't care much for the Heretics. They were as bad as Outcasts and Darkness as far as he was concerned.

The Absol frowned and looked back at the Endless Woods. Those Outcasts and Harlequin... he'd lost them. They'd vanished. Where had they gone?

With a grimace, he stood up and turned his back on the destruction below. If they weren't in the woods, and they weren't in the town, then the only options that remained were the mountains or they'd gone back the way they came.

He'd searched the mountains, but not thoroughly. The risk of a blizzard was rising by the day with every temperature drop, and he could sense it would be soon. And it would be violent. He looked over at the snow-capped mound almost masked by the expanse of trees. If they were in that mountain... then their chances of survival were low.

They couldn't have gone that way. There was nothing beyond it. Nothing but the freezing ocean and an abundance of icebergs. It was always cold beyond those mountains, which was why the ice Pokemon had favoured it. But there were none left there now after the division. They'd been scattered. It was deserted like many other locations.

He wasn't risking climbing over the mountains looking for Pokemon that might not even be there.

It wasn't worth walking headlong into danger.

They'd more than likely got lost in the woods and ended up doubling back on themselves and giving up altogether. They had probably gone back.

Probably... since he'd lost their trail. It infuriated him. How was he supposed to pull this off if he couldn't even keep an eye on his target?

"Harbinger?"

He looked down at Claw. The Pawniard appeared worried, albeit not so much as his twin.

"If we stay here for too long, won't the remaining Heretics notice us?"

Scratch gave an anxious look over the edge of the cliff.

"There's not enough of them left to be a threat." Harbinger turned away from him. "But we're leaving now."

He led them away from the former Heretic town back into the Endless Woods.

Lost.

He was used to belonging nowhere, constantly on the move, constantly under threat, but he rarely ever felt lost.

But not being able to find that little group of Pokemon... it made him feel incredibly lost.

...​

Enigma groaned and rolled onto his side. His head hurt so much he didn't dare open his eyes, and his body felt stiff and alien to him. The surface he was lying on didn't feel like grass or dirt, or a comfy hay bed either. It was smooth and hard, and had clearly done no favours in helping him rest his beaten body.

Then there were the voices. He thought he'd heard someone announce he'd woken up. Where was he?

He cracked his eyes open, flinching at the sudden bright light. As his eyes adjusted, he could make out an iron mesh, and beyond that the colourful shapes of a handful of Pokemon. He blinked a few times to try to bring them into focus, but his head was fuzzy and all he could see was that darn mesh.

"Nice to have you with us," a voice spoke over the rest.

He knew that voice. It was oddly familiar... he frowned, clawing through his brain for a face to put to that voice.

"You can try to escape if you want," the voice went on. "In fact, do try. It would be entertaining to see if this cage actually can hold a ghost Pokemon."

Cage? Enigma pushed himself up and chuckled. He tried to mask his flinch at the effort. Everything hurt. It was coming back to him now. The Heretic lab, the Furret, and those two electric Pokemon. That's what the pain was. It was the lingering effects of their paralysis attacks.

And now he was sat in a cage.

He looked out at the group of Pokemon, slowly becoming more visible. The speaker was standing close to the cage staring at him. Blue fur... pointed ears... Enigma frowned. Rio.

"Rio!" a female voice hissed. "Is it really a good idea to encourage him to try that?!"

Rio laughed. "Of course! Then he'll see we have the upper hand!"

Rio's face was clear now, sneering at him through the bars. Enigma felt a growl forming in his throat. That Meowstic really didn't know when to quit. He was messing with him, an assassin who not only had a major type advantage but also couldn't be held by something as measly as an iron cage.

He didn't remotely have the strength to launch himself through the cage to attack the pathetic psychic Pokemon, but he could at least shake him up a bit. Lash out with his claws, letting them glide through the bars as if he were nothing but smoke.

He lunged forwards with his remaining strength, striking at the Meowstic with his left paw. The iron bars were nothing as his claws slashed through them... but he was met with a violent shock of electricity that caused him to scream and snatch his paw back, collapsing to the floor in a jerking, gasping heap. Tiny sparks of electricity danced over his fur before vanishing into the air.

"It works!" the female voice gasped.

Rio chuckled and took a step back from the cage. "See? I told you. Fool proof."

Enigma snarled, turning awkwardly on the floor of the cage to try and take in more of his surroundings. It was much clearer now, albeit still a little hazy thanks to that violent shock. A group of Pokemon stood behind Rio – a Sandslash, Heliolisk and Grovyle. Another Pokemon stood separate from them, oddly close to the cage – a Raichu. Its tail was resting at the cage's base. So that's where the electrical charge had come from.

Enigma could feel his heart racing. He was in no fit state for a fight. He feared the worst. This might actually be his end. What did Rio want? To torture him for destroying his 'pet'? He flinched at the thought and tried to push himself up, grimacing with the sheer effort. Great. He hurt even more now.

"A cage perfectly designed to hold a ghost Pokemon!" Rio exclaimed with a grin. "I bet no other Pokemon have considered this before, however... I guess it's unlikely it's ever even crossed their minds. As far as I'm aware, you're the only ghost type in Hydreigon's ranks. Am I right?" He inclined his head on one side and gave Enigma a mocking smile.

Enigma growled. "What do you want with me?" His voice came out as a rasp over an alarmingly sore throat. He unconsciously rubbed his neck, fixing Rio with a venomous glare.

"What do I want with you?" Rio gave him a look that told him his answer should be obvious. "I want compensation! You completely destroyed my experiment! Not to mention, if it hadn't been because of your unreasonable request, my lab wouldn't have been destroyed."

"How is that my fault?"

"Oh... I don't know." Rio shrugged. "The coincidence doesn't lean in your favour. I'm blaming you anyway."

The three Pokemon behind him each exchanged nervous glances, the Grovyle appearing rather twitchy. Enigma narrowed his eyes. He knew her... but where from? His mind was foggy. He ran a paw over his head, letting himself finally fall into a painful sitting position.

The Grovyle looked like she was about to speak but the door burst open and a Vigoroth ran in clutching a Sentret under one arm.

"Oi Rio! I had t'rush back 'cos I found this little nuisance wanderin' in the woods but I can't find his ma – wait a minute." He stared at the cage and pointed a long claw. "When did ya catch him?"

The Sentret's eyes widened. "Whoa cool!"

Rio turned to face him. "He came here by himself. He attacked Sandpaw and her cries alerted us. Ray and Thunder took him out and brought him here."

"Wow." The Vigoroth scratched his head. "You'd think he'd be harder t'take down."

Enigma sneered at his remark.

"Fortunately for us, he'd already sustained significant injuries." Rio pointed at the Sentret. "Take Scout to his mother please, she's currently in shock and worried sick."

"I can't find 'er."

"She's in her room resting." Rio paused. "Or at least she was."

"All right, we'll find her." The Vigoroth turned and marched out of the room, still clutching the little Sentret. "C'mon, nuisance, let's find ya ma."

"But I wanna see!" the Sentret cried.

"Nah, ya much too young!"

"Now." Rio turned back to Enigma. "I have big plans for you."

Enigma frowned. Big plans? He didn't like the sound of that.

The Meowstic picked something up off the table. It looked like a little tube with some pink liquid in it, mounted on a slender needle. It wasn't an entirely different set-up to one of Harlequin's many poisoning methods.

Enigma felt his body turn cold and he glanced left and right. He needed to get out of here.

"It's interesting to see how electricity completely negates your efforts to move through solid objects, isn't it? The next stage should be quite easy." He moved to the cage door and motioned for the Heliolisk to follow him.

"Rio, wait!" The Grovyle trotted over to him and placed a paw on his shoulder. "Wouldn't it be easier if you removed his memories first?"

"Oh no," Rio shook his head. "It's much better for us this way."

The Grovyle looked perplexed. "Why?"

"Think about it. If he gets out of here, where is the first place he's going to go?"

"The Shadow Lands."

Rio smirked. "Precisely."

The Grovyle released him and took a step back, but the look on her face said she thought the Meowstic was crazy.

And that he was. Enigma watched as he instructed the Heliolisk to open the cage door. Once that door was open, he could shadow sneak behind him and make a break for it. He didn't even need to take any of them out, just use the shadows to his advantage and get as far away as he could.

The Heliolisk opened the door and stood before him, his entire body sparking. Enigma watched, his heart sinking. Electricity. If he tried to move through that, he'd receive yet another nasty shock. The giant reptile lurched forward, grabbing Enigma's left arm and sending a shock of electricity up it causing the Banette to wail as he was dragged forwards and pinned in place with a nasty thunder wave.

Rio moved over to him and admired the needle. "Now, this won't hurt." He looked down at Enigma. "Well... not as much as the rest of your injuries."

Enigma couldn't watch. He closed his eyes as he felt the needle prick his arm. Whatever Rio was doing, he didn't like it. He didn't recall ever feeling this scared and trapped. It felt like his heart was going to burst free from his battered rib cage.

Rio stood back, finally done, and Enigma was tossed unceremoniously back into the cage. He hit the bars and another painful wave of electricity coursed through him. He cursed and dragged himself away from the bars, shooting Rio a leer.

"Don't worry." Rio set the needle down. "It's only a little Pokerus."

Pokerus? Enigma forced himself to sit up and wiped a paw across his mouth, leaving a streak of blood on his fur.

"It's not the strain your familiar with, however. This is much more potent, incredibly valuable for building an unstoppable army. It increases your abilities much higher than the 'normal' strain." Rio shrugged. "But it does have a rather unfortunate side effect."

Enigma let his paw flop onto his lap. "And what's that?" he croaked out.

Rio chuckled. "Just a little madness."

Enigma felt his heart sink. He watched helplessly as Rio left the room, his lab assistants following after him. The only one that remained was the Raichu, sitting with his back to him with his tail beneath the cage.

Trapped. Great.

Enigma groaned and covered his face with his paws. How was he going to get out of this one?

 

[Delirious Absol]

35 – Falling into Place​

Starshine scurried across the office floor as he chased after Tad, flapping his wings and shouting something garbled as he tried to string words together. The ones that stood out were 'berry', 'Tad' and 'play'. The rest just weren't registering in Tinker's mind at all.

He watched them as he jotted down notes for upgrades to his transporter device. He had the daunting feeling it would be in high demand very soon, and so far the only one who was brave enough to use it was himself. Skipper only knew about it by accident and that was because he'd walked into the room marked 'keep out' while looking for Starshine the previous night. (He'd apologised to Tinker and said he'd just gone into 'overprotective uncle mode', assuming there were dangerous tools in there a hatchling shouldn't be playing with.)

"She's right, yanno."

Skipper's voice made Tinker jump. He looked up at him, his eyes widening for a brief moment. "Huh?"

"Cleo. She's right. We cannae keep 'im locked up in here all th'time."

Skipper had his paws folded behind his head, watching the two baby Pokemon bat a ball of paper back and forth.

Tinker looked away from him and scribbled something nonsensical. He wasn't thinking straight. Cleo, Starshine, fairy Pokemon... his head was a mess.

"I think it's 'bout time," Skipper said slowly, "that we introduce 'im to th'rest o' th'Pokemon 'ere."

Tinker crinkled his nose. "It wouldn't go down well."

"They already know 'bout 'im, Tink. It's not fair. He needs freedom to run around, an' don't tek this th'wrong way, but yer office aint exactly safe fer a wee hatchling who's found his legs."

Tinker looked up as Starshine crashed into a box of papers, the documents fluttering into the air as it was toppled over, covering the little Swablu in a cascade of notes and diagrams. Tad rolled onto his back in fits of laughter, drawing an amused glance from Starshine.

"That was funny, aye?!" Tad looked up at his uncle.

"S'funny." Starshine skittered across the floor towards the Mudkip, flapping his fluffy wings.

Tad leapt aside, causing the Swablu to skid across the floor onto his bottom.

"Don't encourage 'im, lad!" Skipper told him. "Ye'll be makin' him into a trouble maker like yeself!"

"It's just a bit o' fun," Tad whined.

"S'funny!" chirruped Starshine.

Tinker stared at the two Pokemon wordlessly. He couldn't deny Cleo was right. They should try to introduce Starshine to the others. There was also the issue of what would happen to Starshine when he had to report to Meredith to make sure the medicine had been delivered. He couldn't very well leave him here. Sure, he could trust Skipper to watch him, but the Marshstomp had his own duties to attend to, not babysit.

"What's wrong, Tinker?" Skipper asked.

Tinker looked round at him. "Oh. Nothing."

"Don't look like nothin'." The Marshstomp crossed his arms. "C'mon. Ye can tell me. Is it what Cleo said? Are ye worried?"

Tinker rubbed a paw down his face. "Actually, yes. I think she's right. We should introduce him to the rest of New City. It's only right they know he's living here, and this office clearly isn't safe for a rambunctious little Pokemon to play in." He paused and fixed Skipper with his good eye. "I also have to pop over to the next Outcast town to check Cleo's delivered that medicine."

Skipper's eyes widened. "Oh! Usin' yer little gadget, aye?"

Tinker sighed. "Yes. But the problem is, what do I do about him?" He nodded to Starshine.

"Ah yeh, right enough." Skipper scratched his head. "Ye cannae take 'im, aye?"

"Not really. I don't trust my transporter enough to take him with me. It's still a work in progress."

"Ye said ye been workin' on it fer years, an ye say it's still a work-in-progress?!"

"These things take time! I've only used it myself, I've never had any other Pokemon test it." He paused. "And I'm not going to test it on a child."

"Nae, ye not, that's sure enough!" Skipper chuckled. "If ye want, I can look after the wee tyke?"

"Aren't you busy?"

"Aye, but I aint goin' anywhere! I can look after 'im."

Tad looked up at them. "I can too, aye?"

Skipper smiled widely. "Sure ye can, Tad! He's gonna need his big brother."

Tinker raised an eyebrow. "Brother? Since when did we all become a family?"

Skipper elbowed him and laughed. "Leave this up t'uncle Skipper, aye?"

Tinker snorted and gave a small smile. "This is a rather convoluted development. Ahh well, so long as you don't mind, then that would be very helpful. Thank you, Skipper."

"Aye! Ye go 'n' play wi' yer gadgets 'n' visit other towns. I'll be th'stay at home uncle!" The Marshstomp laughed heartily.

Tinker smiled and stood up. "I can't thank you enough. I'll be right back, I have to test something."

He moved across the room to the door marked 'keep out'. Small footsteps pattered across the floor behind him.

"Och, ye don't tyke. That's dad's place. Ye don' go in there, aye?"

"Dad!"

Tinker span to look down at the little Swablu, now clutched in Skipper's large paws.

"Did he... just call me 'dad'?"

"Aww, c'mon Tink! He's always thought it!"

Tinker blushed and turned back to the door. "This just got a whole lot more complicated."

Skipper laughed. "Ye did hatch 'is egg. Whaddya expect?"

Tinker cleared his throat and pushed the door open. "I don't know. A baby Pokemon that would grow up to join the Guild's army?"

"Aye, but ye gotta raise it first."

"Yes, well..." Tinker gave his friend a teasing smile. "I have uncle Skipper for that."

"Ahh, ye skallywag. Go play wi' ye toys!"

Tinker laughed. "Okay. Please look after him for a while. I have no idea how long this will take."

"Sure enough. See ye soon, dad." Skipper waved and Starshine flapped a wing to copy him.

Tinker felt his face heat up again and he turned into the little room, closing the door behind him. Dad... he'd never been called that before.

...​

Enigma's eyes cracked open and he was instantly dazzled by the bright whiteness that surrounded him. He groaned and placed an arm across his eyes to block out the light. Using his other arm, he pushed himself up until he was sitting comfortably in the middle of the cage.

Wait... comfortably?

He lowered his arm and looked down at himself. Sitting up hadn't taken much effort at all, and the pain in his ribs had subsided significantly. He lifted his scarf revealing unblemished grey fur. The bruising had healed. How had that happened so quickly? He'd been battling the pain for days, yet one night in this ridiculous cell and the damage was gone?

It had to be the Pokerus. Rio had injected him with it and now he had recovered. Did the Heretics know it had this effect? If they did, then it would be silly to give it to a wounded assassin who had targeted them as his next victims if they refused to co-operate and tell him what on earth was going on. Unless they were trying to win him over, which was incredibly unlikely.

He chuckled and rubbed the back of his paw across his face. He still felt groggy, but that wasn't new to him. He often did after he'd slept. Insomnia normally kept him awake for days on end, so a good night's sleep made him feel sluggish and weak. He would have put the latter down to the constant electrical attacks, but he didn't feel remotely paralysed. It had worn off entirely.

This was interesting. If Rio had no idea Pokerus could do this, he had absolutely no intention of telling him. He'd play the part of a weak, pathetic Pokemon using the after-effects of sleep to his advantage. Then, once he was out of this cage, he'd take out each and every Pokemon one by one then be on his way.

Memories from the previous night were coming back, bringing with it a burst of adrenaline followed by a wave of nausea. What had that Meowstic said about Pokerus? It had a side effect. Madness.

Madness.

That Tyranitar. And the Whimsicott. It was all falling into place.

He leant back, then remembered those charged bars. He pushed himself forward again with his paw and leant forwards on his knees, leering out at the opposite wall. It wasn't clear at first glance, but he could make out the faint outline of the double-doors.

He had a lot of questions for those Heretics. If he'd picked up on Rio's hesitation when he'd mentioned Boomer's death at the paws of a Whimsicott he could have pummelled the information out of him there and then, rather than just dismissing it as being linked to the new type. The fairy type. How was he to know? He had no idea that this strain of Pokerus even existed until now.

He'd been right. They were up to something. Something big, and he was now caught up in it.

He took the opportunity to have a look around the room and take in his surroundings. Outside those mesh bars the first thing he saw was the back of a Heliolisk. So the Raichu had switched places with it. Enigma snorted and looked past him. Bars. Many bars stretching from the ceiling to the floor, and behind them were a handful of Pokemon watching him with curiosity. No fear, no concern. Probably just wondering why he was in a different set up to them.

'Wouldn't it be easier if you removed his memories first?'

Enigma felt his stomach flip and he looked away from the other Pokemon.

Memories.

They had no idea who he was.

Rio was sick.

Enigma placed a paw over his face and chuckled. Harlequin was right. This world was a mess.

...​

Rio stuffed a pawful of documents into a file and shoved it aside to shelve later. He'd been up all night writing down everything he could remember about Pokerus, Project B, Type 18 and anything else of relevance to their discoveries. The new file named Project C lay open on his desk, the only entry to it being the one from the previous night.

At least he'd made a start. Racking his brain for relevant information from his previous documents had been his priority, that way he could be almost sure he wasn't missing anything important.

The door opened and Mint flowed in, giving him a warm smile.

"Have you been up long?" She asked.

"I've not slept," he replied. "I've been busy."

"You should really sleep. You can't work while you're tired."

"It's not stopped me before." He stood and grabbed one of the files, sticking it onto a charred shelf. "You don't become a genius by sleeping, you know."

Mint leant against a wall and crossed her arms. "A genius still needs to sleep."

"How is our latest test subject?" he asked.

"I've not visited him. I don't really want to."

"Why not? He's behind bars."

"Rio, he threatened me! And he remembers it! Have you any idea what will happen if he gets out? He'll kill me! And you! And everyone else in this lab!" She spread a paw. "It's insanity to keep him here unless you plan to wipe his memories."

Rio rolled his eyes. "I already told you-"

"I know, I know, it's better if he keeps them," Mint spat. She took a steadying breath. "I know you have your own issues with the Shadow Lands. The Darkness wiped out your home and this lab is your little way of covering up any hatred you have for the place. But is keeping one of Hydreigon's top aces really the best solution to your problems? Yes, he might go mad, but what's he going to destroy first?"

Rio fixed her with his ice blue eyes. "The Shadow Lands. Because that's where we're going to deploy him. Along with as many Type 18 as we can get our paws on."

"And what if he gets out?"

"He won't."

"But if he does?"

Rio gave a sigh of defeat. "We run."

Mint wasn't satisfied by this answer. She looked away from him and muttered under her breath, the odd word sounding out louder than the rest, most notably 'crazy' and 'killed'.

Rio stared into space for a moment then looked back at her. "By any chance did any Type 18 appear in your ranks?"

Mint shook her head. "I have no idea. I left them."

"So... they won't be joining us?"

"No. The first sniff of the possibility of this war getting any worse sent them running back to the Heretics with their tails between their legs. I'm all that's left."

Rio tutted and looked out of the window. "Then we need to start our search up again for my missing test subjects."

"They'll be long gone now."

Rio growled and fell into his chair. "I suppose we'll have to work with what we've got and hope some new test subjects show up. It takes a while for Pokerus to take full control of the brain."

"Yes, four seasons at best." Mint scratched her head leaf. "Is that really long enough?"

"It'll have to be!" Rio stood back up and made for the double-doors. "I'm going to check on Project C. Are you coming with me?"

Mint muttered incoherently and followed after him.

The lab was oddly silent. The scattering of Type 18 Pokemon they'd managed to grab from the forest were watching Enigma with innocent curiosity rather than nattering amongst themselves like they usually did. Of course, unlike their first time in the lab, they were much more wary of Rio and his assistants and had to be taken to the training room in chains to prevent their escape.

Enigma sat leering at him from his cage, his hands folded in his lap probably to reduce the chances of him accidentally touching the charged bars.

"How are you feeling?" Rio asked him. "Stronger, I imagine."

Enigma grinned.

"I'll take that as a yes," said Rio. "You're looking well, anyway. I take it you've already gathered that strain of Pokerus increases regeneration rate?"

Enigma's grin fell and he inclined his head on one side. "Oh, so you already knew that?" He tutted. "Pity."

Rio snorted. "I've been studying this Pokerus for years. Did you honestly think something that significant slipped past me?"

"I hoped it had." Enigma shrugged. "Oh well. I guess you're smarter than me."

Rio bristled at the mocking tone behind the Banette's voice. He unfurled his ears and trapped Enigma in a wave of confusion. He raised him from the base of the cage and launched him into the bars. Electricity surged through the Banette's body and he screamed, causing the other test subjects to cower and cover their ears.

Rio released Enigma from his attack and let him crash to the bottom of the floor where he lay, his body jerking as little sparks of electricity jumped across his fur.

"You're mine now," Rio told him. "You're not getting out of here. You'll do exactly as I say."

Enigma turned his head stiffly to fix him with a vicious glare, but Rio was completely unfazed.

"You will be let out of your cage only to undergo training, and we have the methods to do that without putting any of my assistants at risk. Bare in mind there are four electric Pokemon in this lab, two of which are completely capable of taking you down. There are also three normal Pokemon who are immune to your signature attacks, and a Sandslash who can utilise Night Slash which if it were to hit you," Rio paused to chuckle, "it would hurt a fair bit, wouldn't it?"

"It would probably kill him," Mint muttered.

Rio raised an eyebrow at Enigma. "He's also not the only one who can use it. You have been warned."

Enigma pushed himself up, not taking his eyes off the Meowstic. "I'd like to see... how you're going to get me out of here without me striking you first."

Rio looked at the Heliolisk.

The large reptile Pokemon stood and placed a paw on the cage. His body sparked dangerously, causing the cage to spark with as much ferocity.

Enigma flinched, retreating into himself to occupy as little space in the cage as possible.

"It starts now," said Rio.

He moved over to a table and pulled open a draw, taking out a pair of metal cuffs on a chain. He moved over to the cage and instructed the Heliolisk to open it.

"Put these on." Rio handed the cuffs to Enigma. "If you don't, then Ray will."

Enigma stared at the giant Heliolisk. He reluctantly took the cuffs and slipped them onto his paws.

Ray took the chain and Enigma flinched as a mild electrical surge passed through the metal. The Banette was dragged from the cage across the lab.

"I think you'll enjoy this training," Rio told him. "All my other Pokerus test subjects have loved it! They all get so carried away."

Enigma leered at him which Rio returned with a smirk.

"Oh believe me, you will enjoy it," the Meowstic said slowly. "It's another one of its fascinating side effects."

 

[Delirious Absol]

36 – Flygon Times​

The training room was empty save for a lone target on the far wall. It was a shoddy design, nothing more than a mere sheet of metal with a ring motif on it.

Rio hadn't come in with Enigma. Neither had the Heliolisk. The chains had been thread through a metal slat in the door and the sound of a heavy lock falling into place cut through the silence of the room, echoing off the bare walls.

"As you can see," Rio's voice came through a hidden loudspeaker, "the only thing for you to attack in this room is that target over there. I'm not foolish enough to have you face off against one of my assistants. On the back of that target is a gauge that will record your attack power."

Enigma snorted and looked behind him at the blank wall. Was it a one-way window? Or was there a hidden peep-hole somewhere? Whatever, he couldn't see the foolish Meowstic. He dusted down his scarf and fell back against the wall.

"Enigma, are you going to use one of your attacks?"

It was more of a command than a question, but Enigma had no intention of entertaining that maniac. He'd stand here all day if he had to.

There was a long pause while they waited, and Enigma could almost picture the Meowstic's face twisting with impatience. He stifled a chuckle and crossed his arms, staring across at that lone, pathetic target.

A surge of burning electricity shot up his arms and through his body. He let out a yell and dropped to the floor. The attack stopped as suddenly as it had started and Enigma cursed loudly.

"That was just a warning shot," Rio spoke softly. "If you don't co-operate, the next one will be a lot worse."

Enigma struggled to his feet and shot a sneer at the blank wall.

"I refuse to play your games, Rio!"

"Oh, this isn't a game. This is a test. And so far, you're failing."

Enigma shook his head. "Test... who cares if I fail?"

"You will."

The constant tingling sensation from the cuffs worsened and Enigma flinched. He looked down at them, as if he were expecting them to be glowing.

"Now," Rio almost growled. "Aim an attack at that target."

Enigma felt a wave of nausea flow through his chest. If he didn't obey, he'd probably die here. But of course... if he was Rio's experiment, would the Meowstic really want that? He licked his dry lips and glanced back at the wall, narrowing his eyes.

"How far are you willing to go?"

Rio laughed. "Oh! I wouldn't provoke me if I were you, Enigma."

"Let's face it." Enigma crossed his arms and gave the wall a mocking smile. "I'm no use to you dead."

"Actually, you are," Rio said bluntly. "Without you around, I wouldn't have to worry about you. But you're held captive now, which as far as you're concerned is 'as good as'."

Enigma snarled.

"Now attack that target!" Rio's voice blared out of the hidden speaker, echoing around the room.

Attack the target... Enigma growled and lashed out at the wall, raking his claws down the immaculate surface. Long, deep rivets appeared in the woodwork, revealing the former oak colouring.

A violent shock wave shot through his body, crippling him and sending him dropping to the floor with a heavy thud. The attack didn't let up until Enigma started to cough violently. He lay on the ground, trying to desperately catch his breath.

"I warned you." Rio sounded disappointed. "You are of no use to me today. But you brought that on yourself."

The door opened and Enigma felt himself being dragged to his feet by the chains. He staggered out of the room, shooting Rio a vehement glare.

He'd had enough of this wretched Pokemon. With a flick of his claws, a large shadow ball flew towards the Meowstic's head.

Rio waved a paw and a light screen materialised just before the shadow ball struck him across his left eye. He staggered back, thrown off balance from the impact. The screen had significantly reduced the damage but a look of anger crossed the Meowstic's face.

His ears unfurled and Enigma was launched into the air in a field of purple light. It felt like his body was being contorted and crushed, then he was launched down the hallway. Ray had to release the chains to save himself being dragged along with him.

The Banette struck the wall hard, but he was immediately engulfed again. Rio twisted him in the air and marched him back through his office and into the cells.

"Open the cage!" he commanded.

Ray scurried past him and tugged the cage door open. The Raichu was already sat waiting to continue his shift, his tail stuffed under the base of the horrific design.

Enigma flew through the door and struck the back of the cell, once again receiving another nasty shock. Rio held him in place as his screams of protest filled the room, terrifying the other captive Pokemon.

Finally, Rio let him go, and Enigma slumped to the bottom of the cage. He turned his stiff neck to leer at the Meowstic as he backed out of the room, his left eye showing a slight bruise where the shadow ball had hit him.

"I'll be back in the morning," he growled. "It would be in your best interest to co-operate next time."

The Heliolisk followed him out of the room, closing the door and leaving Enigma alone in the electrified cage.

He struggled to prop himself up, his muscles stiff and sore and unwilling to obey. His eyes began to sting and water and a lump rose in his throat. He rubbed the back of his paw across his eyes and let out a defeated groan. There was not a single hope he'd get out of this place. He felt incredibly helpless.

...​

"Oh dear," said Spark. "My stomach just growled."

"I wondered what that was," said Mischief.

"You can't be hungry already?" Faith chuckled. "We just ate."

"It feels like it was hours ago," Spark grumbled.

"It really wasn't," said Cleo.

"Yes, it was," Spark corrected her. "I'm losing track of time in this forest, so I've resorted to relying on my body clock."

"That's not exactly reliable since you are often hungry."

"We should be out of this forest soon," said Faith. "They're not exactly endless, are they?"

"I wouldn't be so sure," said Spark. "We could be going in circles."

"We're not," said Harlequin.

Cleo looked back at her. She was keeping pace with Faith, but had been exceptionally quiet since breakfast.

"I've been marking the trees," she said. "I've not seen any claw marks."

Spark crinkled her nose. "I'm not sure we can believe her, Cleo."

Harlequin flashed her canines, then sighed and looked away. "If you don't want to believe me, fine. But I don't want to be stuck in this forest any more than you do."

Faith gave Spark a smile. "She has been doing it. I've seen her."

Spark's eyes widened briefly. "Oh! Well... okay then. I guess we can believe her."

Harlequin shrugged and plodded along after them. "Whatever. I don't expect you to believe me. I was sent to kill you after all." She paused, raked her claws across a tree then trotted to keep up with Faith.

"I'm worried it's a bit counter-productive though." Spark looked back at her. "I mean, sure, it'll stop us going in circles. But what's to stop any enemies tracking us?"

Harlequin narrowed her eyes. "If you're worried about the Wildfires, they use their noses."

Spark gulped.

"The only assassin who would need to follow a physical trail is Enigma," Harlequin went on. "Pokemon that fly don't look for ground evidence, they just fly until they spot a target then swoop."

"Huh." Spark looked at Cleo. "Like that Noivern."

Harlequin smirked. "And that's one less you need to worry about."

Mischief glanced back at her and his pace slowed.

Cleo grabbed his paw and ushered him along beside her.

"Ignore her," she told him.

"I can't ignore her, it's my fault."

"We have one less assassin to worry about. I'd hardly say that's a bad thing." Cleo's ears twitched and she froze, turning her head left and right as she tried to pinpoint the sound.

Mischief was still talking but his voice faded out as he noticed the dull thrumming sound that filled the air, rising with intensity. Whatever he'd been saying hadn't registered to Cleo, she'd been too focused on trying to place the noise.

It sounded like the rapid flapping of wings, not entirely dissimilar to a Yanma. There had been a lot of Yanma living by the river near her old home, and when they moved in swarms over her house the sound of their wings vibrated through the air in a gentle hum. This was a lot deeper and vibrated against her eardrums.

Spark pawed at her neck and pointed through the canopy. There, flying above them, was a Flygon. It hadn't noticed them. Instead, it was fixated on something beyond the trees they couldn't see. What struck Cleo as odd was that it wasn't alone. Sitting on its back was a small shadowy form, barely noticeable between its shoulder blades. It was blurred out by the Flygon's rapid-beating wings but Cleo was almost certain it was a dark Pokemon.

"What do we do?" Spark whispered to her ear.

Cleo watched the Flygon move over the canopy until all she could see was its tail.

"Follow it," she whispered back.

"What?" Spark squeaked.

Cleo hushed her. "What if it hears us?"

"You want to follow it?" Mischief asked. "Why?"

"It's clearly going somewhere." Cleo crossed the path, moving onto untrodden ground between the closely-knitted trees. "What if its a new Outcast town?"

"I doubt that," said Harlequin. "I don't recognise him."

Cleo looked back at the Zorua. "You don't recognise him?"

"No. Which means he doesn't work for Hydreigon."

"You know all the Pokemon in the Shadow Lands?" Spark's voice was thick with scepticism.

"I don't know them," Harlequin scoffed. "But I recognise them. I can assure you I've not seen a single Flygon in Hydreigon's ranks."

Spark looked at Cleo. "I'm not sure I believe her."

Cleo shrugged. "Only one way to find out."

They scrambled over the thick weeds and knobbly plants, following the Flygon's tail as it occasionally became visible through the canopy. The vibration of its wings came to an abrupt end and Cleo feared they'd lost it. The trees thinned just as abruptly and beyond them was the familiar structure of the Heretic lab.

Spark had to stifle a yell, clasping her paws over her mouth and instead letting out a low squeak.

"I wanna leave," she whispered harshly. "Please... Anywhere but here."

Cleo searched the grounds for the Flygon. It wasn't easy to miss. He stood on his hind legs talking with the small shadowy Pokemon. Now it was off the Flygon's back, it was unmistakably a Sableye. The Flygon had his front paws inside a large messenger bag. He pulled out a pouch which he handed to the Sableye.

"I'll wait here." The Flygon's voice was unusual. It seemed to vibrate like his wings but what he said was still very clear. "I can't get through the door."

The Sableye nodded and scurried over to the door with strange, elaborate movements. He didn't keep his arms at his sides like most bipedal Pokemon, instead letting them flail around as he ran.

Harlequin shook her head. "There's no Sableye in the Shadow Lands either."

Cleo looked down at her. "Are you sure?"

"Positive." Harlequin looked over at the Sableye. "The only ghost is Enigma."

Cleo felt her heart rate increase. That meant these Pokemon were...

"Outlaws visiting a Heretic lab.." She'd barely noticed she'd spoken out loud.

"Lab?" Faith whispered. She eyed the building curiously.

The door must have opened because the Sableye vanished out of sight. The Flygon decided to lie down in the meantime, curling his tail around him as he kept his large, red, glassy eyes on the building.

"They're delivering Pokerus," Cleo whispered.

Faith looked at her, confusion filling her violet eyes. She said nothing, but had clearly noticed Mischief tense up at Cleo's side. He bristled, looking anywhere but at the lab or the Flygon.

None of them said another word. They moved back into the trees enough to hide themselves but still keep the building in view. Spark was growing frustrated, fidgeting on Cleo's shoulder. She knew she wanted to get out of there. Mischief felt the same, standing stock still and staring down at his paws.

Cleo couldn't help but notice Faith's extreme interest in the building. She never took her eyes off it.

Whatever the Sableye was doing, he didn't take very long. Soon, the air was filled with the vibrations from the Flygon's wings as he took into the air, flying away from them. They watched as the slender dragon Pokemon moved away over the canopy, completely oblivious to their presence.

The lab was left in silence. No other Pokemon waited outside it. That meant all the members of the lab were behind the walls our out running errands.

If they were out, then they may find them.

"Okay, let's move on." Cleo gave the building one last glance and turned away.

"I wonder if he's still in there?"

Faith's voice drew their attention. She was stood staring at the building, scratching her chin with a claw.

"Who?" Spark asked. "The Sableye?"

"No. Enigma."

Cleo felt her eyes widen. "Wha-?"

Spark snorted. "Have you gone mad? He wasn't carried there on that Flygon's back."

"I know that," Faith laughed. "He told me he was going to visit a Heretic lab."

"Told you?" Cleo scoffed. "When?"

"Two nights ago."

Cleo raised an eyebrow. Words failed her.

"Two nights?" Spark didn't sound remotely impressed.

"Yes," Faith answered. "I knew he was there. He wanted my attention. So I got up to see what he wanted."

"Weren't you on watch?" Cleo asked.

"Yes." Faith's smile dropped at Cleo and Spark's expressions. "I realised my mistake. It was foolish."

Spark smacked a paw against her own face. "It could have been an ambush!"

"I know. I'm sorry." Faith rubbed her paws together and looked over at the building. "He didn't seem very well either. I'm a little worried."

Cleo, Spark and Mischief exchanged glances.

"You're... worried?" Spark said slowly. "About an assassin who wants to kill us?"

"She's right." Harlequin moved over to Faith and looked back at Cleo. "You're all right. But... those Heretics held us captive. If he's wounded, then... he can't exactly fight all of them." Her voice rose with panic and she looked back out at the lab. "And the sort of things they do in that place-"

The Zorua was cut off as Faith was engulfed in light. It expanded and shattered, and she stood there in her mega form. She looked over at Cleo then down at Harlequin.

"Wait here. I won't be long."

She turned and ran from the trees.

Cleo took a step forward and stretched out a paw. "Wait! Faith!" She sighed and let her paws drop to her side.

"Yeh, I know." Spark sat down on Cleo's shoulder. "She's a little bit barmy."

...​

Faith paused to look up at the door. It wasn't especially tall, about four foot high at most. She considered knocking, but it was obvious she might not be welcome. Trying to open it might reveal it was locked, and then they would know someone was trying to get in. All that was left to her was to bust it down.

She shrugged and gave the door a hefty kick. It splintered and flew open, revealing a narrow corridor. A Sandslash stood on the other side, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Hi there!" She gave him a smile. "I'm looking for Enigma?"

His eyes narrowed and he flexed his claws, hunching forward causing his spikes to bristle across his back.

"Oh dear." Faith gave a small shrug. "I take it he's here then?"

The Sandslash ran at her, raising his long, sharp claws. Faith turned, bringing one of her jaw-like horns in an upward arch to connect with his chin. He was sent arcing back down the corridor, landing in a sprawled-out heap on the immaculate floor.

Faith strolled past him, pausing to check he was okay. Relieved he was merely unconscious, she stood and looked down the two corridor's that branched off from the main one. Voices were coming from her left behind a closed door. She nodded to herself. It was better to take the quieter route first, and if he wasn't there, she could come back here with questions.

She followed the corridor until it ended at another door. She tried the handle and it opened, revealing an office. It wasn't locked? She slipped inside and quickly scanned the room.

Empty.

This seemed a little too convenient. If it wasn't locked then why was no one in here?

She moved into the office, noting that it had clearly received a fire at some point. Soot trailed up the walls, and as she took it all in her eyes fell on a set of double doors in the left wall.

"Hmm..."

She moved over to them slowly. No windows, and again it didn't appear to be locked. She threw them open and let out a small gasp. It was a room filled with cells. What were these Pokemon doing?

She shook it off, turning her attention to the heavy cage hanging from a chain. Enigma sat inside it, eyeing her with confused curiosity.

She didn't have any time to exchange pleasantries however. A large Raichu was running at her, his tail raised above his head. His cheeks and fists sparked wildly and Faith didn't have much time to dodge. She twisted sideways as a jolt of electricity just skimmed her fur. She grabbed the Raichu in one of her horns and shook him from side to side before sending him skidding across the floor into the bars of an empty cell.

Faith turned her attention back to Enigma.

"I have to say, I'm a little surprised at how lax they are on guards!"

Enigma frowned. "It's lunch time."

"Oh!" Faith chuckled. "Spark was right!" She turned her back on the cage. "Stand back!"

Her right horn latched onto the cage bars, squeezing them together like a pincer. Static electricity tingled across it, spreading through her body. It didn't last long. She jerked her horn free from the cage, sending the mangled sheet of metal crashing to the floor, the loud clatter echoing off the empty walls.

Something else had caught her eye while she'd been fighting with that cage. One of the cells had several Pokemon in, watching her with frightened eyes. She rushed over to them and using the same method, chewed a huge hole in the criss-crossed bars.

Enigma slipped out of the cage, not taking his eyes off the Mawile.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

Faith gave him a grin. "I'm rescuing you!"

The double doors swung open and they both turned to them. A male Meowstic stood there looking from Enigma to Faith and back.

"What is going on here?" he demanded.

Faith moved over to him, opening her mouth to speak, but she froze as Enigma lurched forwards, his face twisted in a sadistic grin.

He grabbed the Meowstic by his ruff and rammed him up against the door.

"This is payback," he growled.

He slipped his right paw onto the Meowstic's chest. His claws became transparent, vanishing beyond the blue fur.

Faith's heart leapt into her throat. "Enigma, no!"

The Meowstic let out a blood curdling scream, reverberating around the room. It came to an abrupt stop as his body went limp. Enigma withdrew his paw, now coated in a thick layer of crimson blood. A trickle ran down the Meowstic's front and he slumped to the floor.

Faith had both paws clasped over her mouth, her eyes wide with horror. Her focus had been shattered and she now stood in her normal form. All she could do was stare at the poor Meowstic, her breath coming in quick bursts as she tried to fathom what had just happened.

Enigma said nothing. He shook his paw, spattering red droplets onto the white floor, then moved out into the office.

Faith followed him, her mind still trying to process the situation. She paused as he stopped at the desk, eyeing up an open file with intense curiosity. He grabbed it in his blood-soaked claws giving it a skim over, then looked up sharply as the door clicked open.

A Grovyle froze in the doorway and all colour seemed to leave her face.

Enigma chuckled and advanced towards her.

"Leave her!" Faith grabbed his left paw and dragged him with her.

The Grovyle leapt aside, letting Faith slip through the door. Her cries followed after them, pained and filled with despair.

"Rio!"

Faith screwed her eyes shut briefly. She couldn't believe it. She'd not expected this. It was a simple rescue plan, there weren't meant to be any casualties.

Her heart lurched into her throat as a Vigoroth looked up at her from the stirring Sandslash. He narrowed his eyes at her and stood up.

She didn't want any more trouble. Her feet pounded the floor in a desperate bid to reach the exit, but the chink of sharp claws on the tiles caused her to look back. The Vigoroth was chasing after them, his claws raised and surrounded by an eerie black light. Her eyes widened with the realisation of the Vigoroth's chosen attack.

"Look out!"

She threw Enigma behind her, the Vigoroth's claws narrowly missing him. She used the momentum of the Banette's body weight to swing round and bring her horn up in an arc, colliding with the Vigoroth's face with a sickening thud. He grunted and flew sideways, crashing into the wall. He was mildly dazed, but still concious, blinking his eyes as he tried to fathom the situation.

Faith didn't hesitate. Still clutching the Banette's paw, she turned and dragged him after her.

"Thunder! Ray!"

The Vigoroth's voice echoed down the hall, fading as Faith managed to burst through the splintered door.

There was no way she was taking Enigma straight to Cleo and the others, but they needed to hide and fast. She moved past Cleo's hiding spot, heading for one several feet away. She dragged the Banette through the trees until the lab was no longer in plain sight. When she came to a stop she rounded on Enigma, keeping him between her and a solid tree trunk.

"Why did you do that?" she demanded. "Why kill him?!"

Enigma snorted and folded his arms over the file. "You know, they're probably looking for us."

She narrowed her eyes. "Tell me!"

"Maybe you could tell me why you bother to rescue a Pokemon with my reputation?" He smirked. "And maybe enlighten me on your elaborate appearance during the whole endeavour as well?"

Faith shook her head and gave him an exasperated look. "I was rescuing you. You didn't need to kill anyone."

"You weren't exactly easy on that Raichu."

"I was subduing him, not killing him!"

"You still attacked him."

"If I didn't subdue him, we'd have both been behind bars! Or worse!"

Enigma examined his bloodied claws. "And if I hadn't killed Rio, he would have gone on with his insane experiments." He fixed her with a cold stare. "Then we'd all be dead."

"Faith?"

They both looked over at the voice. Cleo moved through the trees towards them, accompanied by her friends.

"There's a group of them gathering outside." She looked from Faith to Enigma then raised an eyebrow at the Mawile. "What's going on?"

Enigma looked at each of the Pokemon and when he noticed Harlequin, he snorted. "I'm out of here. I've got stuff to do."

He tossed the file high into the air and warped, catching it as he landed in the trees. Faith watched helplessly as he skipped away through the canopy.

Cleo watched Enigma vanish out of sight then turned to Faith.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

Faith looked at her and seeing Cleo's concerned expression forced a smile.

"I'm fine. At least he's no longer behind bars."

Spark blinked. "If it weren't that Heretic lab, I'd disagree."

Cleo ushered the Mawile forwards and glanced back over her shoulder. "We need to move on, they're going to be searching the forest for you soon."

Faith nodded and followed after her. The slow footsteps behind her caused her to look back. Harlequin was staring at the floor with a solemn expression that filled Faith with concern.

"Are you okay, Harlequin?"

Harlequin looked up at her and gave a half-smile. "Yeh." She looked up at the trees. "I'm just glad he's okay."

 

[Delirious Absol]

37 – A Cry For Help​

Mint crossed her arms and hugged herself, stifling the tears that were welling up in her eyes. She stood with the rest of Rio's team in silence as they watched Razorclaw cover his body with soil.

When the Sandslash finally stood back, Sandpaw shuffled forwards, clutching a red flower in her paws. She placed it on the mound of soil and retreated backwards, wiping her eyes with her foreleg.

Mint rubbed the Furret on the back and turned away, leading the silent Pokemon back to the lab.

She would have gone into Rio's office, but she couldn't bring herself to. She led them down the other side of the corridor into the small room they used when they needed a break. A long, low table stood in the middle of the room surrounded by little stools.

Tantrum fell into one and finally broke the silence.

"Well, what we gonna do now?"

Mint sighed and sat down opposite him. "I think we're all wondering that."

"We never discussed somethin' like this," the Vigoroth went on. "Does someone take over?"

Mint leant forwards on her knees and focused on the grain in table's woodwork. "I don't want to take over."

"Neither do I." Tantrum scratched his head with his long claws. "I aint a single clue what we're doin'. Rio were th'genius. Not me."

"I was just a guard," Razorclaw rasped.

Thunder and Ray nodded, and when Mint looked at Rowap and Spelon – the Plusle and Minun – they just shrugged.

Sandpaw hugged Scout on her lap and looked at the Grovyle. "I think it's down to you, Mint."

Mint sighed and wrung her paws together. "Then I'm disbanding us."

The group stiffened and looked at her.

"Wha'?" Tantrum gasped.

"I can't continue this!" She threw her arms in the air. "This was Rio's group, not mine. We broke off because of a difference in opinion, I only came back because I was worried about him. I only knew about Pokerus, but he wanted to use it for war. I never wanted to start a war, I just wanted to hide. Now we're left cleaning up his mess." She paused and looked from one Pokemon to the next, taking in each bewildered face. "Can any of you honestly say his experiments were sane?"

The other Pokemon looked at each other nervously. Razorclaw shook his head slowly, and one by one the others copied him.

"Nah, they weren't." Tantrum sighed. "We only stood by him 'cos we thought he had a point."

"We all lost our homes," said Razorclaw. "And family." He looked at Rowap and Spelon and the two nodded and shrank down in their seats.

"You all want to stop Hydreigon and I back you on that," said Mint. "But Rio went about it the wrong way. And now, there are loads of Pokemon running around out there with no memories and Pokerus in their bodies. It's only a matter of time until..." She trailed off and visibly flinched.

"Then there's Enigma," said Tantrum. "He still has his memories. What if he hunts us down?"

"He probably will!" said Thunder. "He's already killed Rio. We're the ones who shocked him in the first place!" He pointed between himself and Ray. "We're the reason he couldn't get out of that cage!"

Ray's face turned from black to grey and Mint worried for a moment the Heliolisk was going to faint and fall off his stool. She braced herself but Thunder put a paw on his back and he leant forwards, slowly regaining his colour.

"I stand by my decision," said Mint. "We disband."

The others nodded silently and Tantrum looked up at her.

"Where do we go? The Outcasts won't 'ave us." He narrowed his eyes. "And I aint joinin' no Heretics." The last sentence was laced with a warning tone.

Mint leant back slightly and nodded. "I know. So we... we head to the Border Woods."

"And become outlaws?!" Tantrum gasped.

"Yes." She gave him a graven look. "It's what we've always been, isn't it? Hiding in a Heretic lab was a ruse."

"But..." Tantrum scratched his head. "Yeh. Yeh, yer right. Thing is, in the Border Woods, we're gonna stand out like a sore paw."

"Yes," said Sandpaw. "The outlaws are made up of dragon and dark Pokemon, with the odd poison and ghost amongst them."

Mint shrugged. "What other choice do we have?"

Sandpaw fell silent and leant her chin on Scouts head.

"Okay then." Tantrum gave the other Pokemon in the room a quick glance. "If we join the outlaws then we need to clean up this mess. Get rid of all th'Pokemon that have Pokerus."

"How are we going to find them?" Razorclaw asked.

"It's only a matter o' time when they go mad. We just follow the trail o' destruction."

"What about the dragons?" Sandpaw asked.

"What about 'em?"

"They'll surely know there's other Pokemon types living in the Border Woods!"

"They also know about the outlaws," Tantrum told her. "An' they manage just fine."

"Plus there's safety in numbers," said Mint. "We've been working with the outlaws for some time. They'll know us. They'll back us up."

"What about our plan against Hydreigon?" Thunder asked. "And Enigma?"

"We make a new plan," said Mint. "But we'll cross that bridge when we get to the Border Woods. We might get more Pokemon on our team then, and we'll stand a better chance in this fight."

Scout's eyes lit up. "So we're becoming outlaws and fighting bad guys?!"

Tantrum chuckled. "Sure. That's what we're doin'."

"Cool!" He looked up at his mother. "We're gonna win right? We're gonna be heroes!"

She rubbed his head and smiled. "Yes, you'll be a big hero."

"Then it's sorted." Mint struck both her paws on the table and stood up. "We move out today. Grab what you need and meet me outside."

She turned and left the room. The other Pokemon followed her out, chatting quietly amongst themselves. There was no joy to their voices. Mint was aware this was a huge, unexpected change but she couldn't stay here, and these other Pokemon had told her none of them knew what to do now. She was doing the right thing, wasn't she?

She moved down the hallway and opened the door, stepping outside into the brisk air. The wind blew through her head leaf before settling into a breeze. It was empty, desolate, not a Pokemon in sight. But not being in sight didn't mean there wasn't someone lurking, hiding in the shadows. She'd lived in this forest long enough to know that, and now she was going to leave it behind, moving on to lands unknown to her.

It made her feel a little sick.

"We're ready."

She looked back at Tantrum, standing behind her with the other Pokemon. Each one had a small bag strewn over their shoulder.

"Shall we be off then?" he asked.

Mint nodded. "Yes. Does anyone know the way?"

"Wait fer sunset an' follow the red clouds." Tantrum adjusted his bag and moved past her. "It's always red over th'Shadow Lands."

Mint swallowed drily and followed after Tantrum. The rest of the group shuffled slowly after her.

...​

Sandpaw watched helplessly as the other Pokemon moved away, clutching Scout in her arms. As they moved out of sight, she licked her lips and looked nervously from the Sandslash's vanishing back to the trees on her right.

Finally, she closed her eyes and ran blindly into the trees.

"Aren't we going with them?" Scout asked.

Sandpaw shook her head violently. "No. No, we're not."

...​

Enigma came to a stop at an open stretch of land beside the river. The forest continued on the other side, connected to his side by a tree that had fallen a long time ago. The roots of the fallen tree arched into the air and curled back down again, ending in a rotten, moss-covered point.

The trees had shed their leaves onto the ground, coating it in a thick blanket that overflowed into the river. The odd leaf was occasionally washed away, carried along the river like a little raft, and several were stuck to rocks that jutted out of the clear water, beaten in place by a frothy spray as the river rushed by them.

Enigma flopped down onto the floor, not caring to hide himself in the shadows. His concerns lay in the folder he was still carrying. Something had snatched his attention when he saw it open on Rio's desk. The title – Project C – had stood out loud and clear at the top of the open page. Below that was something on Pokerus that at first glance had absolutely nothing to do with him, but he wanted to know more about it, even if the thought filled him with an icy dread.

He popped it open on his lap and skimmed the first few pages of scrawled notes on Type 18. Rio had already told him about that. He'd even included a little note on giving the information to Boomer, and how the dragon had failed to deliver the information to Hydreigon. It was all old news to Enigma. He flicked on ahead until he spotted the page that had piqued his interest. There it was – Project C scrawled at the top of the page as he remembered it.

'Project C is the next instalment into our super-powered army. Project B wasn't quite a failure, but we had lost all the notes in the fire that devastated our lab research.

'Here I shall write what I remember of it. Project B was a Tyranitar chosen for our Pokerus research. This new strain was discovered in our lab when an Oddish showed to be improving drastically in a training regime. We pulled this Pokemon aside and examined it, and were surprised to find Pokerus. However, this strain seemed slightly different as it pushed the Pokemon past its normal capabilities. It did, however, wear off and the Pokemon's power's remained the same. The odd thing about it was how none of the other Pokemon contracted it. It wasn't contagious. Normally Pokerus would move from host to host, but this strain just developed, and went away.

'The sample was taken to a lab in the Border Woods where the Pokemon there examined it and modified it. The ways are unknown to me, but the virus mutated vastly. It was delivered back for further experiments and Project A was born.

'Unfortunately Project A reacted badly to the virus and ended up attacking itself until it was completely mutilated. It seemed the new strain caused madness after a mere few hours of infection. This was reported back to the lab and they made some more modifications. The next batch was sent over and we started Project B.

'Project B was a success, increasing in strength with every battle. We thought it would become a power-house, one of many in a vast army. However, after a season passed by, it started to exhibit signs of madness. It would fall into a blind hysteria, attacking anything that moved. We had no choice but to remove all Pokemon as sparring partners providing a moving target. However, during these outbursts, its attention was taken from the targets provided, instead deciding to rampage around the room in an attempt to get out. This would wear off and the Pokemon would have no memory of the events, regaining its normal composure. We felt it best to remove the Pokemon's memories entirely in fear that it would target those it knew in its rampage. Unfortunately it's not that simple a task. If the Pokemon is awake, it is constantly taking in information and making more memories, but when it is asleep it dreams. I removed as many as I could and hoped for the best. It seemed to work as when it fell into its outbursts it would keep attacking the moving target rather than hunt around the room.

'After four seasons passed from the start of the experiment, Project B was completely consumed by madness. We were left with the decision to destroy it, or keep it. Its strength was remarkable, so it was decided to keep it in chains. An army of these monsters would give us an edge in our attack on the Shadow Lands.

'Then Type 18 showed up. We selected several of the Pokemon with this type – a Snubbul, an Azumarill and a Whimsicott – and after a month of training removed their memories and sent them out into the world with a tracking device. We intended to track their progress to see how much damage they could do when they hit a burst of hysteria. However, it was reported that the Whimsicott lost its tracking device, and the Snubbul and Azumarill have long since vanished off our radar.

'Project C, however, must not fail. We will not make the same mistakes. Our test subject will keep its memories so its first target will be the Pokemon it is closest to-'

Enigma stood up and threw the file to the floor, giving it a hefty kick.

"What have you done to me?!"

He turned his back on the offensive object and put his hand to his chest, his breath coming out in heavy gasps. He couldn't believe it. The more he read, the sicker he felt. Rio had been completely insane. He'd believed he could build an army of monsters to attack the Shadow Lands and had dragged Enigma into it.

He'd tried to turn him into one of his monsters.

He looked down at his paw, still red with sticky blood, and frowned. He didn't want anything to do with that crazed Meowstic any more. He should wash it off. Turning sharply, he staggered towards the river, teetering slightly as the momentum threw him off balance. Great, he felt dizzy. After reading all that, he wasn't even entirely sure if it was from the Pokerus or sheer terror.

He dropped onto his knees by the water and stuffed his paw under the freezing surface. Gritting his teeth as the icy water washed over his claws, he scrubbed his fur with his other paw, removing the congealed blood that was oddly reluctant to come out.

His mind reeled with the information he'd just taken in. Putting the string of events together, it didn't make sense. Weren't they Heretics? Weren't they trying to win favour with Hydreigon? If not, then why bother to tell Boomer about 'Type 18' in the first place?

His mind was too muddled to make head nor tail of it. Maybe there was something about this elaborate plan in the file? He'd seen Boomer's name in there, the events had been recorded.

Satisfied he'd removed all of the blood, he scrambled back to the file. None of the pages had torn free after he'd struck it, but it was lay open, the papers rustling in the wind. He flipped it back to the beginning and skimmed over the writing.

Nothing.

All that was written was: 'We put our plan into action and sent for Boomer to demonstrate Type 18. Once he'd seen it for himself, he was sent to Hydreigon to deliver the news but was unfortunately killed on the way. This failure may not have been a bad thing, as it was pointed out to us that giving Hydreigon such information might not have the affect we desired and instead would cause the dragon to riot.'

That was it.

A plan... he'd glossed over it. Enigma slammed the file closed and looked around for something to destroy it with. There were some large stones and pebbles by the river. If he could find some that were dry enough...

The Meowstic probably hadn't felt the need to write such information down. If it were meant to be his legacy, then anyone that heard about it would likely know his plan anyway. Enigma couldn't see any logical sense in telling Hydreigon about a type that could indefinitely wipe him out as though he were nothing more than a mere Caterpie being engulfed in flames. Maybe it was just a convoluted effort to win favour with him, to trick him into believing his lab was on his side. But why reveal part of his plan?

Enigma snorted, sorting through the scattering of pebbles. He'd found some that were dry enough to cause some sparks. He returned to the folder and smashed the stones together. The first spark didn't take, so he struck them a few more times until little sparks of flame started to eat up the pages.

There.

Whatever it was, it was done. Over.

He picked up the folder and watched as the flames spread across the paper, dropping little ashen wisps towards the ground that were burnt up before they touched the dry leaves.

The lab wouldn't be getting this information back. The question was, would they try again? Without Rio, they would need to start over. Unless one of them was educated enough to continue on with such a ridiculous idea. One thing he'd clearly not considered was what he'd do after his army had ravaged the Shadow Lands.

It was clear to Enigma which side would have won. No army of Pokemon would be able to withstand a wave of Pokemon that had a massive type advantage, never mind an army fuelled with murderous insanity caused by a mutated, power-enhancing, parasitic virus. So what would happen when they had nothing left to destroy?

He flicked the remains of the file into the air and watched as the flames combusted over it and vanished, leaving it to fall to the ground as tiny sparks of ash. The leaves began to smoulder and spark and small flames sprouted from them.

They'd find something else to destroy. They'd move across the region, wiping out any Pokemon they could get their claws on.

He crushed the flames under his foot and smothered them into the dirt.

Rio was an idiot.

...​

"Help! Please, help!"

Cleo stirred and mumbled, rolling over on the grass.

"Cleo?"

She opened her eyes and blinked, the dull yellow of the tent coming into focus. Spark stirred at her side and sat up, rubbing her large, black eyes.

Mischief stared at her from outside, leaning on his right paw to peer over his shoulder.

"Erm... someone's here."

Cleo stood up, stooping as she left the tent.

"Someone's here?" she asked.

"Yes. She's asking for help."

She looked past Mischief and had to gather herself for a moment as words seemed to vacate her head.

A Furret stood shaking a few feet away, clutching a young Sentret in both arms. She glanced at the tent and from Mischief to Cleo, then her eyes fell on Spark as she strutted forward to stand between Cleo and the Furret.

"What's going on?" the Dedenne asked.

"I'm not sure..." Cleo frowned at the Furret. She could just make out the Heretic tattoo on her left shoulder. "You're a Heretic?"

The Furret shook her head violently. "No! No, I'm not!"

"But you have the tattoo-"

"I didn't want it! No... I'm not..." She hugged the Sentret tighter, causing him to wriggle and protest. "We ran... I don't know where to go."

"Ran from what?" Cleo moved towards the Furret, ignoring the grunt of protest as a sleeping Harlequin was dragged from the tent.

"Cleo, you can't -" Spark was cut off as Cleo strode over her head. "Argh! I hate it when she does that."

The Furret backed away from her, twisting her body to turn the Sentret away as though she worried Cleo was going to hurt her child. Her demeanour seemed to change when she spotted the badge on Cleo's bag.

"You're... Guild members..."

Cleo nodded. "Yes."

"You... help lost Pokemon, don't you?"

"Usually. Are you trying to get somewhere?"

"I thought you might be Guild members." The Furret shifted uneasily. "Please help us. We don't know where to go!" She flopped to the floor and released the Sentret, covering her face with her paws as she burst into tears.

The Sentret looked up at her. "We were meant to go to the Border Woods!"

"We're not going there!" she squealed through her paws.

Cleo raised her paws. "Okay! Okay, calm down. What's happened?"

The Furret looked up at her, drying her eyes with her paws. "Everyone went to the Border Woods."

"Everyone? Who's everyone?"

"Everyone." She took a deep breath then jolted, her eyes fixed on something behind Cleo. "Oh my goodness!" She leapt to her feet, dragging the Sentret by his paw and throwing him behind her.

Cleo looked back with a start. Harlequin stood looking a little fed up, her eyes bloodshot with tiredness.

"Oh, Harlequin." Cleo looked back at the Furret. "It's okay. She won't hurt you."

"You're friends?!" the Furret hissed.

"Not exactly. She's... a captive." Cleo indicated her bracelet. "She can't use her attacks, or move two feet away from me."

"I'm not sure." The Furret looked from Harlequin to Cleo. "Why is she with you?"

Cleo shrugged. "Believe me, I ask myself that question every day."

Harlequin snorted. "As do I." She looked at Cleo. "Mind standing closer to the tent? I want to go back to sleep."

Cleo turned to head back to the tent. Faith was standing at the entrance and stood aside for Harlequin. The Mawile gave Cleo a little smile.

"Is everything okay?"

"Erm." Cleo looked back at the Furret.

She hadn't bothered to follow her. She was still standing protectively over her child, watching them with confusion and fear.

"Oh my!" Faith clapped her paws together. "What a delightful little hatchling!"

The Mawile scooted over to the Furret and crouched down so she was on the little Sentret's eye level.

"You're not even fully grown! How old are you?"

"I'm am grown! I'm a big boy!" the Sentret retorted.

"He only hatched at the start of the warming season," said the Furret.

"So two seasons!" Faith gasped. "Wow, you're going to be tall!" She looked up at the Furret. "You look positively shattered. Why don't you come inside?"

"Wow." Spark looked up at Cleo. "It's gonna get really cozy in there tonight."

Cleo watched as the Furret's demeanour changed from worried to calm in a mere moment. Faith had certainly had a calming affect on the frightened Pokemon. She may very well have the Heretic tattoo, but she was almost certain this Pokemon wasn't lying. No mother in her right mind would want to put her child in danger, so there was little chance she'd risk a fight when she was outnumbered.

"Are you sure there's room?" the Furret asked.

Faith laughed. "Oh, it'll be fine! I'll just squeeze myself into a corner! I'm Faith, by the way. And the Meowstic there is Cleo."

"And who's the tiny Dedenne?" the Sentret asked.

"Oi!" Spark waved a fist at him. "I'm a big girl!"

"That's Spark," said Faith. "And the nice Whimsicott on watch is Mischief."

Mischief gave a little wave.

"Oh, he looked worried when I ran over." The Furret covered her mouth. "I'm sorry."

Mischief shrugged. "You don't need to apologise for being lost."

"You do when it wakes me up!" Harlequin snapped from the tent.

The Furret's face fell. "Hmm... I'm not sure I'm happy staying in a tent with..." She trailed off and gave a small nod to the tent.

"That's fine," said Cleo. "I'll kick her out for the night. It's my watch next anyway."

Harlequin's face appeared in the opening. She fixed her blue eyes on Cleo and frowned.

"My name's Sandpaw," said the Furret. "And the little one is Scout."

Faith smiled at him. "Scout, huh?" She looked back at Cleo. "Are you sure this is all right? I just can't turn a mother with a little child away like this."

Cleo smiled. "It's fine. I can tell when I'm being lied to, and she's telling the truth."

"Thank you." Sandpaw smiled. "I really hope we're not an imposition. I just didn't know what else to do. When I saw you, I-" She trailed off and wiped her eyes with a paw. "I just found myself asking for help."

"Come on." Faith ushered her towards the tent. "Get some sleep, you're exhausted."

As Faith entered the tent, Harlequin slipped out and moved round the side, curling up in the shadow of the large rock they'd camped beside. Her blue and black colouring caused her to blend in almost seamlessly.

Mischief caught Cleo's eye and she looked at him. He shrugged and leant forward on his knees, making himself look oddly small. The moonlight reflected off his smooth fur, defining his build and when he glanced back up at her, she became aware that she was staring. Her face flushed and she glanced away from him, flexing her paws and trying to fathom the anxiety that was slowly filling her. She looked back down at him and cleared her throat.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

He shrugged again. "I can't say I wasn't a little surprised."

She gave a nervous laugh and sat down next to him.

"You should go back in there." He nodded to the tent. "You need more sleep than that."

"It's almost my shift anyway. I may as well stay up and keep you company."

She stared out across the glen. The land here was flat, but the horizon was filled with the tops of the mountains that surrounded the Moorland's Forest. Trees were few and far between so they'd had to improvise with the tent using a long, stiff plant broken in two and stuffed into the ground, joined together with a stringy, vine-like weed which they tossed the sheet over. So far it had worked, but Spark was waiting for the moment it would fall down on top of them.

"It's not for a while," Mischief told her.

She looked at him. "Huh?"

"Your shift. It's not for a while."

"I really don't mind."

She glanced back at the tent and he followed her gaze, then gave an understanding nod.

"You don't trust the Furret do you?" He kept his voice low and poked at the ground with a thin twig.

"It's not that I don't believe her," she said softly. "I agree with Faith. But I find it hard to trust anyone."

Mischief chuckled. "You're total opposites."

Cleo fixed him with an amused stare. "What are you getting at?"

"She sees the good in everyone. She even went out of her way to rescue Enigma."

Cleo sighed. "Yes, I have to admit I don't really understand that one."

When they'd asked Faith why she'd done something so reckless, she'd merely smiled and said: 'A little bit of kindness can go a long way!'

Cleo shook her head in her paws.

"Personally I'd rather know that someone who is out to kill us is behind bars, out of the way."

Mischief looked at her. "He had his chance to kill us then though didn't he? And he didn't."

"He was probably too surprised."

"Or Faith is right."

She removed her paws from her face to fix him with one eye.

"She has the same outlook as Rose," he went on. "She's a 'peace enthusiast' as Tinker put it. She showed kindness to Harlequin with the belief he can change. I think she'd be happy to know she's right – that showing a little kindness works."

"Enigma still tried to kill us," said Cleo. "And so did Harlequin. Pokemon like that should be locked away."

Mischief was quiet for a moment. He looked up at the sky, the occasional cloud blotting out the spread of stars.

"So did I."

Cleo felt herself jolt and she looked at him.

"Do you think I should be behind bars?" he asked.

She shook her head sharply and looked down at her paws. "You weren't in your right mind." She paused. "And you also saved our lives."

He was quiet, dragging the thin twig across the ground creating an illegible pattern in the dirt.

"If it weren't for you," Cleo went on, "then we'd be dead. That Noivern would have still attacked us even if we hadn't been trying to catch you when you robbed us. It would have still been flying over the forest, and it would still have targeted us. You really helped us back then."

"I still killed him," he said.

"It was self defence."

"It was still wrong."

Cleo stared down at her paws and rubbed them together nervously. "Maybe so." She looked out at the glen. "I don't really agree with it either. But unlike him, you're not evil."

"He could have had the chance to make amends."

"You believe that's even possible?"

"Yes." Mischief dropped his stick and leant back on his paws. "Yes, I do."

Make amends... Cleo looked over at Harlequin, just visible in the shadow of the large rock. She appeared to be asleep, but Cleo wasn't sure if she caught the glimpse of one of her blue eyes in the starlight. She turned away and leant back to look at the stars.

"Maybe you're right."

 

[Delirious Absol]

Part 4

38 – A Village by the Lake​

"You're a funny colour." Scout was walking backwards, his eyes not leaving Harlequin. "Why are you such a funny colour?"

They'd been walking since sunrise, small bursts of conversation between them, but the loudest of them had been from Scout as he barraged Harlequin with endless questions. At this particular one, all Harlequin did was shoot him a glare.

Cleo kept a watchful eye on her just in case it looked like Scout was going to push too many buttons. Harlequin had been exceptionally patient so far, so much so that Sandpaw's anxious look had lessened as she stayed close enough to snatch him out of the way if need be.

"I've not seen an odd coloured Pokemon before," Scout went on. "But mum tells me they exist and they're rare. That makes you special, right?"

Harlequin chuckled. "Sure. I'm special."

Scout didn't seem to pick up the sarcasm in her voice. He seemed satisfied by this answer and diverted to a different topic.

"And your an assassin too? Why do you use poisons? Why not just fight?"

"I prefer poisons."

"But why?"

"It's sneakier."

"I suppose..." Scout was thoughtful for a moment. "But if you don't fight, you don't evolve right? Is that why you're still a Zorua?"

Harlequin snorted. "Combat's still combat."

"So you've not had enough combat to evolve?"

"I've seen my fair share."

"But you've not evolved! Why's that?"

"Because I don't want to." Harlequin fired him a warning glare.

"But why?" Scout whined. "You'd be so much stronger!"

"Because I don't want to, okay?!" Harlequin snapped.

Sandpaw swept Scout from the ground and stepped out of the Zorua's range, her eyes wide with concern.

Harlequin sighed. "I wasn't going to bite him."

Sandpaw looked away from her and trotted over to Faith.

"I think that's enough questions for today," the Furret told her son.

"But I've not finished interviewing the bad guy!"

"I'm not a bad guy!" Harlequin let out a sigh and waved a paw. "Whatever. Believe what you want."

Sandpaw looked back at her and Scout twisted in her arms to fix his large eyes on the Zorua.

"Not a bad guy? But you're from the Shadow Lands!"

"I'm not going back," Harlequin muttered. She looked away from them.

"Huh." Spark peered down at her from Cleo's shoulder. "Had a change of heart? When did that happen?"

"My guess is in the Fairy Garden." Faith smiled back at them.

Cleo looked at Harlequin. She'd noticed the Zorua's demeanour had changed from aggressive to more subdued, but she'd assumed this was merely because she'd resigned herself to her captivity. Being unable to use attacks and other Pokemon staying out of her reach, resistance was futile. But a change of heart? That hadn't crossed her mind at all.

Was this just a ruse?

"I mean, she did manage to enter it," Faith went on. "That should be enough indication she's looking for some kind of solitude."

"But who's to say it's definitely our side?" Cleo asked.

"Your side!?" Harlequin snorted. She looked away from Cleo, her canines bared.

"Of course!" Faith flashed Harlequin a wide smile. "If you're fighting for Xerneas, we're on the same side!"

Harlequin's expression became unreadable. She kept her eyes on the ground, lagging sightly behind Cleo.

"You've mentioned this before."

The Furret's voice drew her attention away from Harlequin.

"We get there through the Endless Woods," the Furret went on. "It sounds too good to be true, but I'd be happy to go and look for it. But alone... it's a little daunting."

"We can do it!" Scout fist-pumped the air.

Faith chuckled. "He certainly has a lot of enthusiasm! But yes, please travel with a group. It's dangerous out there."

"Are you going back there?" Sandpaw asked.

"I will be doing eventually. Right now, I've promised I'll help these Pokemon find the fire type they've been sent to look for." Faith was thoughtful for a moment. "Maybe we can find some more Pokemon who want to go and you can travel together in a group! Oh, Cleo!" Faith looked back at her. "Maybe we can send them to New C-"

Cleo leapt forward and clasped a paw over Faith's mouth, stifling the Mawile's words and causing them to come out in a mumble against her paw pads. Her violet eyes had widened with shock and she removed Cleo's paw from her face and gave her a quizzical look.

"What was that for?" she asked.

"Yes." Harlequin scrambled to her feet and shook her head, scattering dried leaves from her fur. "What was that about?"

Spark was stood next to her, staring at Cleo with a look of amusement, but she said nothing.

Cleo looked from Sandpaw's confused face back to Faith.

"We can't say its name outside its walls," she hissed.

"Oh..." Faith scratched her head. "Then... how do Pokemon find it?"

"They go through the Guild." Cleo pushed Faith forwards and gave a small shake of her head. "Let's just move on, okay?"

They walked in silence for a moment, Faith seeming confused and a little embarrassed and Sandpaw looking increasingly anxious.

That had been a close call. Faith had very nearly revealed New City to a Pokemon with a Heretic tattoo, and Cleo wasn't entirely sure this Pokemon was even on their side. She glanced over at Mischief who'd been completely quiet since they'd left the camp that morning. He gave her a worried glance as though he was telling her he was thinking the same thing. They didn't know Sandpaw at all. She'd just... shown up.

But there was Mischief... a Pokemon with a Heretic tattoo and no memories. He'd been to New City, he'd joined the Guild. Cleo was certain they could trust him. Why would such rules not apply to a frightened mother and her child?

Cleo sighed. She couldn't bring herself to trust them. She didn't know them. This was a war.

"I feel like you were going to tell me something I'm not meant to know." Sandpaw broke the silence. "I can understand you won't want to tell me, especially if it could potentially endanger others. But I can assure you, I'm no threat."

"Nope! We're no threat to the good guys!" Scout wriggled out of his mum's arms and landed on the floor where he puffed out his chest. "I'm gonna be a hero!"

"Ooh!" Faith clapped her paws. "I think you'll be a great hero!"

Sandpaw chuckled and scooped him back up again.

Scout let out a whine. "Heroes don't get carried, mum!"

Spark's head poked out of Cleo's neck fur and she looked at her.

"What do you think, Cleo?" she asked quietly.

Cleo shrugged. "I honestly don't know."

...​

"Ahh finally!"

Spark's eyes glistened at the sight before them. A little Outcast village was spread out beside the large lake. Like Tinker had said, it was just outside the Glen. Part of the village was built up the shallow slopes of the large hills that rose up at either side of the river but it was significantly less steeper than some areas of the Glen, making the hill easier to climb and possible to build on.

Calling it a little village might have been a bit of an exaggeration. It was little in comparison to New City, but it seemed more permanent than the temporary towns, and therefore bigger. The houses were of better quality, a majority of them being made from stone, with the odd wooden house springing up here and there as new Pokemon moved in. And, in typical Outcast tradition, in the centre of the village, visible over the sloping roofs of the houses, was the Guild headquarters.

Cleo had heard of this place, but she'd never visited it. It was marked on her map, but despite its more permanent appearance, it wasn't given a name. No settlements were given names. Names sounded too permanent, and there was the fear that Pokemon could develop attachments that would be difficult to break if they needed to suddenly evacuate.

Naming them gave hope.

They trudged over the grass towards the village. There was no wall spreading around the circumference. Such things were pointless. With the threat of airborne Murkrow flocks and winged dragon types and dark Pokemon such as Weavile that could climb, not to mention Enigma's ability to sneak through walls, building them would only cause Pokemon that couldn't scale them to become trapped in their own home with no way to escape.

"Wow!" Faith exclaimed. "It's nice to see an actual village!"

"What do you mean?" Sandpaw asked.

"Well, Pokemon have been living in shocking conditions! You need to be out in the open like this – free and happy. Not stuffed in a lab or hiding away in fea-ahh!"

The ground gave way beneath the Mawile's feet and she plummeted out of sight.

"Faith!"

Cleo shot to the edge of the hole with Harlequin and Sandpaw at her side. Faith was lay on her back on a pile of debris staring up at them, her violet eyes wide and her mouth hanging open as she tried to catch her breath.

"What... just happened?" she gasped.

"Are you all right?" Cleo asked.

"Yes, I think so. I just... Harlequin! Take a step back!"

The Zorua gave her a look of confusion and obliged, stepping behind Cleo.

"What's the problem?" she asked.

"What's going on here?" A deep voice drew their attention from the Mawile.

A Garbodor moved over to them from a little alley between two houses, his eyes fixed on the large hole. He ran his right limb over what one could assume was his ear and let out a little groan.

"I'm terribly sorry about this. You've gone and fallen in."

"No kidding!" Spark snorted. "What is this? Some kind of trap?"

"Some kind of tunnel!" shouted Faith.

"Aye, it's a tunnel." The Garbodor peered over the edge. "You see, we had the Dugtrio try and dig us an escape tunnel, but this part of the ground is a little fragile and it was at risk of giving way. We were gonna secure it, but now... are you all right down there, milady?"

He gave Faith a massive grin.

The Mawile smiled up at him. "I'm fine. But I'm a little stuck."

"Awh, I can help you out, but I'm a little slippery. You are a steel type, right?"

Faith nodded and watched as the large poison Pokemon lowered his pipe-like arm down towards her.

Cleo stood back watching, trying not to flinch as a few drops of liquid dripped from his arm. It was too late for her to offer to raise Faith from the hole with her abilities, and she really didn't want to offend this Pokemon. He was being kind and helpful and was probably elated that he could help another Pokemon without risking poisoning them.

He effortlessly lifted Faith back onto the grass and gave her a fond smile.

"There you go, milady! Back on solid ground! But... I'd move away if I were you, perchance this part gives way too."

He waved a long limb at them to follow him to the town.

Faith trotted to keep up with him. "Thank you so much for helping me! You're very kind!"

He laughed heartily. "Oh don't worry! And you can wash your paws when we get inside! There's a little trickle that runs down through the hill!"

"A little trickle?" Spark asked. "I thought you used the lake. We're here to deliver medicinal berries to you!"

He twisted his large, neck-less head to look back at her. "The 'trickle' is a diversion from the river to save Pokemon wandering too far at night. Unfortunately, it's still tainted."

"Oh." Spark retreated back into Cleo's fur.

Cleo joined the Garbodor's side.

"I'd also like to thank you for helping us out there," she said. "My name's Cleo. We're looking for Meredith. Is that you?"

"No, no!" The Garbodor laughed. "I'm Mulch. I was actually on my way to the lake to draw more poison out of it! It's a time consuming task, but we're getting there."

"Excuse me." Harlequin's nose was crinkled so much her brown furrowed. It was clear his odour was overpowering to her. "But wouldn't that just add more poison to the water?"

Mulch stared at Harlequin for a moment, his eyes squinting. Cleo was suddenly aware that this was not a young Pokemon, and his eyesight was failing. Her suspicion on this was clarified when he let out a little exclamation of surprise.

"There's a Zorua with you!"

"Yes," said Cleo. "She's a captive. She's no threat to you. She can't use her attacks nor can she leave my side."

"Oh dear, child." Mulch let out a sigh and rubbed his pipe over the back of his head. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to wait here while I go and find Meredith."

"There's no need for that, Mulch."

A Delphox moved over to them, followed closely by Tinker.

"I'm here," said the Delphox.

Faith gasped and pointed at Tinker. "How did he get here so fast?"

Spark shrugged. "We've just kinda accepted it as one of his many mysteries over the years."

Cleo suppressed her surprise at seeing the Riolu and instead turned her attention back to the Delphox.

"As for him," he nodded at Harlequin. "Tinker's enlightened me to the situation. Harlequin is a prisoner."

"Harlequin?" The Garbodor looked back at her, his large eyes impossibly larger. "Well, I never thought in all my day's I'd see Harlequin!"

"Before you put me in the cells," Harlequin looked from the Delphox back to Mulch, "I'd like to know the answer to my question."

"Weren't you mocking him?" Spark snorted.

"No," Harlequin said flatly. "I am genuinely curious."

Mulch chuckled. "To answer that, no. It wouldn't add more poison to the water. Poison Pokemon can draw the toxins out of things to make them safer for other Pokemon."

"Yes, having some poison Pokemon around provides balance." The Delphox crossed his arms and leant back against one of the houses. "Having Mulch and his grandson around has been a big help recently."

Harlequin was staring at Mulch with great intensity. "I have so much I want to ask you."

Mulch laughed and closed his eyes. "Well, I'm not so sure I want to help out an assassin."

Harlequin sat down suddenly, her shoulders slumping.

Cleo looked away from her, aware that Tinker's eyes were burning holes into her head. Once he had her attention, he nodded at their two new companions.

"Who are these two? They have Heretic tattoos."

"Oh!" Cleo moved over to him, dragging the unwilling Harlequin behind her. "These are Sandpaw and her son Scout. They've escaped from the Heretic lab and are looking for somewhere safe."

"So you brought them here?" Tinker didn't sound impressed.

"Please, sir." Sandpaw edged cautiously over to him, trying to maintain eye contact but her eyes kept drifting to the ground near his feet. "I never wanted to be a Heretic, and now the lab's gone I can tell you anything – what they were doing, and why they were doing it..." She trailed off as Tinker's glare intensified.

"So the lab has to have disintegrated for you to tell me what they're up to?"

"If I'd escaped sooner, I'd still be willing to tell you!"

"Were you a worker or a subject?"

"Worker, but-"

Tinker cut her off with a wave of his paw. "I've heard enough. Now come on, Cleo. You can leave them here. We need to get those berries to the nurses."

He cast one last glance back at Sandpaw and marched into the town.

Cleo looked back at the Furret. The shock and disappointment was clear on her face. She'd been hopeful. Hopeful she could find someone who could help her and her son, and she'd been dismissed so easily without even being heard out simply because she was a Heretic.

Cleo grit her teeth and looked away. Wasn't that what she was doing earlier? Being sceptical simply because she has a Heretic tattoo? Not willing to trust her?

"Tinker!" She caught up to the Riolu and grabbed his arm. He turned and looked down at her and she returned his look with an alarming glare. "Are you really going to dismiss her like that? She's alone with a child!"

"Then she can go and find some Heretics to help her."

"She's left them. She might have a tattoo, but so does Mischief-"

"Mischief was a victim."

"You don't know that for certain."

"But you do."

Cleo released his arm but didn't remove her yellow eyes from his. "Hear her out at least. Please?"

Tinker closed his eyes and sighed. "Very well." He looked back at the Furret. "Come with me. We'll go to my office."

"Not the cells?" Cleo asked him.

"We don't have any cells," said the Delphox. "We don't keep Pokemon locked up here. Any attacks are dealt with by our warriors." He looked over at Sandpaw and folded his arms. "Let's just hope for their sake that they prove to be on our side."

A look of anxiety crossed Sandpaws face as she passed the Delphox to join Tinker. She'd clearly heard him, he'd intended it.

Tinker gave him a nod before leading the Furret and her son to the Guild headquarters.

The Delphox gave Cleo a smile. "Follow me. I'll show you where to deliver those berries."

He turned and moved away from them.

"Will they be okay?" Mischief asked. "I'm a little worried."

Mulch edged closer to them and leant into Cleo, the odour of rotting fruit rising from his body.

"Don't worry, child," he said. "They won't do anything to your friend. Any enemy Pokemon are caught and handed over to the Guild to be locked up in external cells away from here. Keeps the peace." He edged away from her and gave her a nod. "Go on. I'll see you later."

"Thanks, Mulch." Cleo waved a paw and watched as the Garbodor waddled away.

"He means the cells in the woods, doesn't he?" Mischief asked quietly.

"I think so. Well," she turned to her friends. "We'd better deliver those berries."

 

[Delirious Absol]

39 – Sunset Dance​

The road they were led along stretched through the centre of the village. The Delphox came to a halt at a squat stone building and glanced up at it before heading for the door. He was stopped as a Wigglytuff ran out, almost crashing into him. He stopped her by placing both paws on her shoulders and gave her a warm smile.

"Oh! Meredith!" Her large eyes widened with brief surprise.

"Why the rush?" he laughed.

"I was looking for you! Are they here?" She looked past him at Cleo and her group, and her gaze faltered on Harlequin. She looked back at the Delphox with a look of uncertainty. "Why is there-"

"I've been assured he's merely a prisoner."

"Shouldn't he be in the cells?"

Meredith turned away from her to address Cleo. "You have the berries?"

Cleo was well ahead of him. She pushed the pouch of pecha berries into his paws and stepped back from him.

"I hope there's enough there for you," she told him. "We should be on our way now."

Meredith handed the berries to the Wiggytuff without taking his eyes off Cleo.

"So soon?" he asked. "Take your time and get something to eat. You probably could do with a decent sleep too. There's rooms in the Guild Headquarters you can use."

Spark poked her head out of Cleo's fur and glanced at her.

"He has a point. I, personally, would love a good night's sleep." The Dedenne looked around at Faith and Mischief. "Am I alone in this?"

Mischief's shoulders slumped slightly. "I am pretty tired, actually."

"I'm fine either way," said Faith. "But I wouldn't object if you decided to stay here. I'd like to meet some more Pokemon, so it's a great opportunity!"

Cleo made a thoughtful noise and turned to look back at Meredith. Harlequin's voice caught her before she could finalise her opinion on the matter.

"What's in the bag?"

Both Cleo and Meredith looked down at her while the Wigglytuff ducked behind him.

"Pecha berries," Cleo told her. "Why?"

Harlequin gave a snort and looked up at her. "For what poison, exactly?"

"Didn't we tell you? Someone poisoned the river with Seviper venom."

Harlequin raised her eyebrows. "And you're using pecha berries for that?"

"Why wouldn't we?" Meredith asked. "They cure poison."

"In a pinch they do okay, but you want the proper antidote." Harlequin turned to Mischief. "Pass me my bag."

Mischief turned his body so her bag was further away from her.

Harlequin sighed and closed her eyes. "Then do you want to get it for me? It has a picture of a Zangoose on the bottle."

Faith moved over to Mischief and reached for the bag. "It's worth a look, at least. I mean, if there is an antidote in here, you may as well use it."

"Wait a moment." Meredith raised a paw, his brow furrowed and eyes narrowed. "Do you trust this Pokemon?"

Faith looked back at him. "Trust?"

"No," Cleo said bluntly. She turned to Faith. "We don't."

"Maybe you don't trust me," said Harlequin. "But a user of poisons is going to carry counters to all popular poisons. It covers my back! If I get poisoned, I take the antidote. I have all counters to every poison in that bag except for Nidoking." She smiled at Faith. "So don't prick yourself on that horn."

"It wouldn't affect me anyway." Faith rummaged through the bag. "I'm part steel type, so I'm immune. It's a nice balance to my fairy typing, actually."

"Fairy type?" Meredith frowned.

"I'll talk to you about it just as soon as we're done here. Ahah!" Faith let the flap of the bag fall back into place and held up a small vial. "Is this it?"

Cleo squinted to see the label. There was indeed a picture of a Zangoose. A somewhat crude drawing of a silhouette that depicted its head, claws and tail.

"That's the one." Harlequin smiled and flicked her tail. "Zangoose are immune to most poisons thanks to their feud with Seviper. The stuff in that bottle was used by them for years, building up their intolerance to it. It's the perfect counter to the stuff. Use it."

Meredith took the bottle and turned it around between his claws. The clear blue liquid inside sloshed against the glass and he stared down at Harlequin.

"If this really isn't poison, you wouldn't be afraid to drink it."

"No, because it isn't poison."

Meredith turned to the Wigglytuff and muttered something to her. She reached into her apron and pulled out a pencil. Meredith examined it briefly and popped open the vial, dipping the pencil bottom-first into the liquid. He pulled it back out and held it out to Harlequin.

"Prove it."

Harlequin gave a small sigh and stood up. She leant over to the pencil and licked it. With a grimace she sat back down, resisting any urge she had to spit the stuff back out.

"Why the sour look?" Meredith asked, a small smile playing at the side of his mouth.

"It's bitter," Harlequin answered. "They mix it with herbs. They taste nasty."

Cleo felt a wave of relief through her chest. For a small moment there, she thought Harlequin had been having an adverse reaction, but from experience she knew those herbs were indeed very bitter. It was only fairly recently that Spark had shoved one in her mouth to wake her up. She looked at Meredith and shrugged.

"There you have it. It's genuine."

Meredith examined the blue liquid once more. "Maybe we should wait and see what happens to him first."

"Harlequin's assured me enough times she's not suicidal," Cleo told him. "The evidence is there. Use the berries or the antidote. It's up to you."

The Delphox turned his eyes back to Harlequin. "Why would one of Hydreigon's assassins willingly hand over an antidote to his enemies?"

"Because I'm not one of Hydreigon's assassins," Harlequin said flatly. "You might not be my friends, but I'm no longer your enemy. I don't expect a warm welcome in your village, so think of me more as an outlaw. Unwelcome, but unlikely to attack you without provocation."

"Not to mention she can't with that collar on," Spark added.

Meredith snorted and handed the vial to the Wigglytuff. "Ask them if they want to try it before you give it to them."

The Wigglytuff thanked the group meekly before retreating back inside the little medical building.

Meredith turned his attention back to the group of Pokemon. "I'm not sure what's going on here, but I thank you for bringing those berries. Now I strongly urge you to go to the Guild Headquarters and report to Tinker. I'm sure he wants to talk to you."

"Thank you, Meredith." Cleo rubbed a paw over her head and looked down at Harlequin. "So much is happening lately, I'm losing track myself."

Meredith gave her a smile and slipped into the medical ward.

Cleo turned and led the group towards the Guild building. The red flag with the yellow sun symbol rippled on the roof in the cold wind. Before they could reach the door, two Meinshao cut in front of them.

"I'm sorry," the smaller one said. "We can't let you in. Tinker's orders."

"What?" Spark snapped. "Why not?"

"Because we have no cells." The taller one waved at Harlequin. "Can't be letting him in now can we?"

Cleo sighed and ran a paw over her face. "Fine. What do you suggest we do?"

"You can wait in the shelter around the back?" the smaller one offered. He waved a paw at the narrow alley between the Guild and a berry store. "It's dry, and will keep the wind off."

"Aww man!" Spark wailed. "Barred from our own Guild!"

Cleo shrugged and cut between the two Meinshao. "We'll wait there. Send Tinker to us when he's available?"

"Sure thing, Cleo." The smaller one gave her a smile. "If there was anything we could do, we'd offer. But... rules are rules, you know?"

"I understand."

"We'll be round with some food for you shortly!"

"Food?" Spark looked back at him. "You just won some awesome points!"

The two Meinshao laughed as they waved the group off.

They filed through the narrow alley to the little shack around the back. It was a tatty, wooden structure with a weak door that looked like the wind could blow it off more so than be kept out.

The group spread out on the bed of hay, which Cleo was surprised was dry and fresh.

"Looks like they prepared this for us," she said.

"That's nice, at least." Spark fell from her shoulder and landed on her back in the hay. "I wonder how long they'll be with that food? I'm starving!"

Harlequin collapsed heavily into the bed of hay next to Cleo, causing the Meowstic to let out a small yell. She turned her head sharply to look at the Zorua. Her eyes were closed but she was breathing steadily.

"Are you okay?" she ventured.

"I'm fine," said Harlequin. "Why? Are you worried I'd tricked them into taking a poison?"

Cleo didn't want to admit she actually was. She looked away from Harlequin and crossed her paws in her lap, exchanging looks with Mischief who was sitting opposite her next to Faith. The Whimsicott seemed to be mirroring her thoughts and he glanced at Harlequin briefly before turning his attention to the open door.

"I think it was really nice what you did," Faith said with a smile. "Offering to help them like that."

Harlequin opened one eye and fixed it on the Mawile, but she remained silent.

"I know it can be hard to win another Pokemon's trust," Faith went on, "but if that's what you're trying to do, you're taking the right steps."

Harlequin closed her eye again and sighed. "Well, you're the only one who sees that."

...​

Cleo rubbed a paw over her eyes and yawned. She pushed herself up and blinked a few times as she tried to focus on her surroundings. They were still in the shack, and light was pouring in through the open door. She was suddenly aware all of them had fallen asleep. Faith was lay on her back next to Mischief who was curled in a small ball, his brown body almost completely hidden under his mass of white fluff. She looked down at Spark, lying on her back next to her and emitting snores much too loud for her size. On her other side was Harlequin, curled up but awake as her blue eyes were watching her.

Cleo licked her lips and looked away from her, glancing once more around the little shack.

"How long have we been asleep?"

"All night."

She looked back at Harlequin in alarm. "All night!? Did Tinker show up?"

"Nope." Harlequin yawned widely, flashing two rows of sharp teeth, and pushed herself up to scratch behind her ear with a rear foot. "He never showed."

"Well... what if he did and we were all asleep?"

Harlequin snorted. "Do you really think he would have left it that way?"

Cleo gave a dry chuckle. "Actually I'm not quite sure." She paused and looked back at Harlequin. "When did we fall asleep? I don't actually remember."

"It was after dinner." Harlequin yawned again. "But the sun hadn't set yet."

Cleo covered her mouth and yawned, glancing over at the empty plate in the middle of the floor.

"I've not slept like that in a long time!" She looked down at the Dedenne. "Even Spark's still out."

Spark twitched next to her and kicked out with her back leg.

"Spark?"

"No, Digger," Spark muttered. "I don't wanna go swimin'."

"Spark!" Cleo nudged her with a paw.

Spark's eyes shot open and she sat up, looking around the room before falling back on her back.

"Awh, come on!" She waved a paw at the ceiling. "Have I missed breakfast?"

"Yes." Harlequin had moved over to the door and was looking at the sky. "It's noon."

Spark sat bolt upright again. "What?! No way!"

"Hnn?" Faith sat up, rubbing her eyes. "What's going on?"

"We've overslept." Cleo stood up and joined Harlequin by the door. "We need to report to Tinker and see about heading on our way."

"Oh yeh." Spark stretched and stepped outside. "We need to find that fire Pokemon." She looked back at Cleo. "Hey, do you think it's Meredith? He's a fire type, right?"

"I don't know." Cleo scratched her head. "How would we find out?"

"He's also a psychic type." Faith appeared behind Cleo. "I don't know... fire and psychic fighting the Wildfires? It just feels wrong. I don't think it's him."

Spark crinkled her nose in thought and looked back at Faith. "Then how would we know?"

Faith shrugged. "I'm thinking partly rationally here, but I think we should just keep looking. I mean, he's part psychic which leaves him at a disadvantage, and also he didn't recognise the fairy type."

Spark put her paws on her hips. "Few Pokemon know what the fairy type is."

"Yes, a few." Faith closed her eyes and smiled. "Some of them out there will know."

Cleo moved out of the shack towards Spark. "If we move on now, then I've no idea where we're going to need to go." She looked back at Faith. "Any suggestions?"

Faith shrugged. "We'll need to think it over."

Cleo nodded, and her ears twitched. The sound of voices reached the group, but they weren't panicked or afraid.

"Is someone... celebrating?" Spark asked.

Cleo raised an eyebrow. "It sounds like it."

"I wanna go check it out." Spark waddled away from them to the alley.

Mischief joined Cleo's side and stretched. "That was a good nap. Shall we follow Spark?" He let his arms fall to his side and the back of his paw brushed against hers.

Cleo felt a small jolt through her body and glanced up at him. She snatched her attention back to the retreating Dedenne and cleared her throat.

"Yes. Yes, I think that's the best idea." She moved away with him to follow Spark. "Plus, I'm hungry."

Mischief glanced up a the sky then followed Cleo. "Since when did it become noon?"

The group of Pokemon moved single-file through the alley and out onto the main road. The voices were louder here, and a large crowd was gathered around the Guild Headquarters. Meredith could be made out between what few gaps there were.

Cleo spotted a Minccino and Trubbish standing back from the crowd, and the Minccino's ears twitched eagerly as he strained to pick out what Meredith was saying.

"What's going on?" she asked the little Pokemon.

The Minccino looked up at her and grinned. "The river's clean!"

"What?" Spark asked. "Already?"

"Yup! It's now safe to drink!"

"It was relatively safe before hand," the Trubbish added. "You just needed to be cautious." He closed his eyes and crossed his arms. "That's what my grandpa said anyway."

"Ah!" Faith chuckled. "You're Mulch's grandson!"

"That he is!"

A long pipe flopped over Faith's shoulders as Mulch appeared behind them and she let out a startled squeal. Her friends were equally startled and Cleo leapt back a step, turning to face the Garbodor.

"This is Fussy and his pal Dusty." He nodded to the Trubbish and Minccino in turn. "They keep the village clean."

"Aye!" Dusty saluted and flicked his long tail. "We should probably get back to work!"

The Trubbish grinned. "Maybe we'll see you at the party?"

"Party?" Cleo raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

Mulch laughed. "To celebrate the river being clean!"

"Not just that!" Fussy turned to his grandpa. "The sick Pokemon are well again. The medical ward is practically empty now."

"Yes it is." Meredith cut through the crowd of Pokemon and stood next to Cleo. He looked down at Harlequin then turned to the two youngsters. "You two are needed by the Guild."

Dusty saluted again. "Sure thing! Let's go, Fussy!"

The little Minccino and his friend took off through the now thinning crowd.

Meredith looked back down at Harlequin. "That antidote you gave us... it worked wonders. Thank you."

Harlequin's blue eyes widened in astonishment.

Cleo looked up at the Delphox and observed his face. She couldn't tell how exactly he felt about that. There was a little disappointment in his eyes, but that could have been aimed at himself rather than at Harlequin. A small smile played at the side of his mouth and he turned away from the Zorua to address them as a group.

"You have really helped us here. As such, I want to personally invite you –," he paused to look at Harlequin again, "all of you – to the celebrations this afternoon. It will go on into sunset, then tomorrow I will gladly give you all the supplies you need to continue on your journey." He smiled. "I honestly can't thank you enough."

Cleo glanced at her paws briefly. She really wanted to move on now, but turning down his offer may come across as rude.

"A party?" Spark quipped from her shoulder. "I, personally, would be delighted to, but... we do have plans..."

Cleo felt herself smile. Spark certainly could think on her feet. She looked at her other friends and noticed Faith's huge grin.

"I think a party would be a great idea! Think of all the new Pokemon we'd meet!" The Mawile clapped her paws together. "Oh what fun! When does it start?"

Meredith smiled. "In a couple of hours. If you keep going past the Guild and turn left, there's a square. It will be held there." He turned and gave them a small wave as he walked away.

"A party?" Mischief scratched his fluffy head. "I've never been to one. What are they like?"

Faith closed her eyes in a dreamy smile. "Music, dancing, food and festivities! And lots and lots of Pokemon to meet!"

"Are we sure it's not wasting time?" Cleo asked.

"Think of it this way," said Spark. "What if that fire Pokemon is in this town and we miss him? This is a grand opportunity to scope out who else is living here."

"Exactly," said Faith. "And some Pokemon here might be looking for the Fairy Garden and not even know it!"

Harlequin made a small grunt that sounded like agreement. Cleo looked down at her and caught her eye. Harlequin glanced away and sat down heavily.

"He thanked me..."

"Huh?" Faith inclined her head on one side and fixed her violet eyes on the Zorua.

"He thanked me," Harlequin said again. "I've never been thanked for anything."

"Oh really?" Faith placed a paw on her shoulder and smiled. "How does it feel? Good?"

Harlequin gave her an awkward sideways glance. "Yeah..."

Faith grinned. "That's great!"

"And if you're going to be helping other Pokemon," Cleo began, "then you've got many more 'thank yous' waiting for you."

Faith nodded eagerly.

Harlequin gave a half-smile and shuffled her front feet as she looked away from them. "I'm not sure how else I can help."

Spark poked her head out of Cleo's fur. "You'll find your niche."

Mischief shifted his weight on his feet and clasped his paws behind his back. He gave Harlequin a small smile.

"I don't really know how I can help either," he said. "So you're not alone."

"You don't know how you can help?" Harlequin snorted. "You took down a dragon, you even knocked out Reshiram! You're strong! You can defend your friends!"

Mischief looked down at his feet, his expression turning sombre. "Well, it comes at a price."

Harlequin sighed and stood up. "At least you have strength."

"Erm..." Spark raised a claw in an attempt to get everyone's attention. "We're kind of... dragging down an awesome mood here. I say we take a walk, find some food, then head over to the square."

Cleo looked at her out of the corner of her eye. "By 'take a walk' do you mean 'walk five steps to the Guild'?"

"Yes."

"I thought so."

...​

The square was bustling with various Pokemon, a majority of which were normal types – amongst them were Dusty and his parents, three little Skitty chasing each other, a Teddiursa, a Loudred and Exploud, a family of Ratatta and Raticate, and a lone Glameow sat aside grooming her fur. There were a scattering of other Pokemon types including Meredith, Mulch and Fussy, but none of them were fire Pokemon.

Cleo found it odd that the Guild would comprise of mainly normal types, but it could also be that a lot of the Guild were either sent to do missions or stationed as sentries around the village. The Meinshao pair were standing by a table full of food while keeping a watchful eye for trouble, but it wasn't unreasonable to think that others were hidden throughout the streets.

The Loudred and Exploud were standing on a stage playing music. The Glameow, finished with her grooming session, clambered up beside them to sing. The music provided a steady beat that many Pokemon found themselves dancing to.

Spark sat on the table, munching away at a slice of berry toast.

"It doesn't hold a candle to the festivities in the Fairy Garden," she said, "but it's certainly a welcome change to marching through fields and forests worrying about being attacked."

Cleo stifled a laugh. "That's a rather blunt way of putting it, but I have to agree."

"Cleo!"

She looked up to find Tinker running to her with Sandpaw and Scout in tow.

"There you are!" He came to a stop and leant against the table. "I've been looking for you in this chaos!"

"What do you want?" she asked him.

"A dance, probably." Spark stuffed the rest of the toast in her mouth.

"Actually," Tinker scratched his ear and looked away from Cleo, "I wanted to tell you that your new friends here have given me quite the tale."

Cleo looked at Sandpaw and Scout. The Furret seemed more relaxed around them now, but the bustling Pokemon in the square seemed to be causing her some level of anxiety. Scout, on the other hand, had hopped onto the table next to Spark to grab himself some toast.

"She's told me exactly what that lab was doing, and I have to say I'm surprised," Tinker went on.

"Surprised how?"

The Riolu sighed and fiddled with his everstone. "The lab there was filled with former Heretics. Their plan, albeit somewhat dangerous and convoluted, was to destroy Hydreigon and the Shadow Lands."

"What?!" Cleo and Spark both gasped.

Harlequin, who had been curled up under the table, stood up so quickly she hit her head, causing the plates to clatter and several berries to roll to the floor.

"I believe I performed a somewhat similar reaction myself." Tinker chuckled.

Mischief's ears had pricked up at this and he placed his plate back on the table, his focus now on the Riolu.

"However, I can explain more before you leave tomorrow," said Tinker. "I don't want to cause a fuss at this party. I just wanted to let you know what my decision was."

"What decision?" asked Cleo.

"Their tale checks out," Tinker explained. "As such, I shall be taking them back with me."

"What?" Cleo raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yes." Tinker rubbed the back of his paw and stared out at the dancing Pokemon. "I think it's for the best. It's safer there, and having Scout around would give Starshine an extra friend to play with."

Cleo shrugged and absently picked up a strip of dry fish to nibble on. Tinker wasn't foolish. He wouldn't take a strange Pokemon back to New City if he thought they'd pose any threat. He'd had reasons for the Swablu hatchling. If he thought Sandpaw was safe, she wasn't going to question it.

Mischief edged closer to Tinker. "I want to know more. Did she say why they -"

Tinker raised a paw to silence him. "I'll explain more tomorrow. You focus on enjoying yourself."

Mischief took a step back and glanced at the crowd of dancers. His eyes flitted back and forth and Cleo felt him take her paw. She looked up at him and he fixed her with his orange eyes then looked back at the crowd. She felt her face flush as she realised what he was about to ask her. With his free paw, he pointed and was about to say something until Tinker's voice cut him off.

"Since Spark did mention it..." Tinker rubbed the back of his head, staring down at his feet. "Would you like to -" he looked up at Cleo and, seeing Mischief, snatched his gaze away and waved a paw. "Oh. Never mind... I'll just... Sandpaw!" He pushed himself from the table and ventured over to the Furret. "Would you care to dance?"

"I'm not sure!" Sandpaw blushed violently and covered the lower half of her face with her paw. "I appreciate the offer, but I don't want to leave Scout."

"That's okay!" Spark exclaimed from the ground as she gathered up the fallen berries with the little Sentret. "You four go and dance! I'll keep an eye on him."

Spark gave Cleo a wink, causing her face to flush even more.

"I... don't really know what I'm doing." Mischief's voice drew her attention back to him. "So I'm just going to copy everyone else. Is that okay?"

"That's fine." Cleo glanced away from him, concerned that the white fur on her face wasn't enough to hide her sudden bashfulness. "I don't know what I'm doing either."

Mischief moved to lead her into the crowd and Cleo felt a slight tug at her bracelet.

"You are aware," said Harlequin, "that wherever you go, I have no choice but to follow you?"

"Ah." Cleo faltered and looked back at the Zorua.

"That's fine!" Mischief gave Cleo a small smile. "We can dance near the table."

"Oh goody!" Harlequin rolled her eyes. "I'll just stay under it then."

...​

Faith smiled as she watched the two pairs go off in separate directions to dance. That just left her at the table with a hungry Spark and an anxious Harlequin. The latter had retreated under the table, trying to avoid the eyes of the other Pokemon. News had spread that Harlequin had given them the antidote to the contaminated water, and some bolder Pokemon had come forth to thank her and talk to her about it. It had proven too much, and she'd resigned to hiding out of the way.

Faith didn't want to draw any more attention to Harlequin so she decided rather than disturb her that she'd go and introduce herself to some new Pokemon. She moved away from the table and was stopped by a sharp, curious voice;

"Where are you goin'?"

She looked back at Spark, now sat back on the table next to Scout with a large oran berry in her paws.

"Not far. I'll be back later!"

Faith's wave was returned with a grin before Spark tucked back into her berry, and she turned and left the table.

She wound through dancing couples and nattering groups, searching for an opening where she might be able to politely interrupt and join in. She was normally very confident but even in this situation there seemed to be quite a tight clique between the groups of Pokemon that made it hard to cut in. She'd reached the other side of the square and looked back at the crowd. She'd not seen everybody yet, so she decided to move around the outskirts before zigzagging back through.

The band's song changed to one that was more fast-paced and the crowd of Pokemon erupted into cheers, the males grabbing their female partners and swinging them into a spinning dance. Squeals of laughter spread throughout the square and Faith couldn't help but smile at the happy, dancing Pokemon.

As she passed the opening to one of the alleys, something moved and caught her eye. She paused to look down it and sure enough, moving in the shadows was a Pokemon not much bigger than her.

She narrowed her eyes. She was fairly certain who it was, and she was adamant he'd be causing no trouble at this party.

She strode towards the alley and, like a dart, the Pokemon lurched out of the shadows and grabbed her arm. He pulled her into his chest, her face buried in the rough fabric of his chosen garment. A light, spicey smell, not dissimilar to that of occa berries, filled her nostrils. Before she could push herself away, he removed one paw from her back and secured his claws around her right paw. Her breath was snatched away from her as he spun her in circles down the alley, away from the square, the faint tinkle of a hidden bell resounding in rhythm between the stone walls of the empty buildings.

"Wait... where are you taking me?" she gasped.

"Hmm?" Enigma's red eyes widened in amusement. "Is it wrong of me to steal a dance?"

"When it involves actually stealing me, yes!"

He closed his eyes and laughed. "You're not exactly putting up a fight."

Faith frowned, aware he was dancing her further and further away from the square. "What do you really want with me?"

He let out a small chuckle as he secured his paw on her lower back and span her with a jerk into another narrow alley, avoiding the main road through the village.

"I don't really want anything," he said. "I saw you moseying around the square looking for a partner. You seemed lonely, so I thought I'd offer a dance."

He paused and spun her away from him, keeping a tight grip on her paw. She came to a stop as she reached the end of his arm, his grasp stopping her from falling backwards, and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Lonely? I think you're the one who's lonely."

He grinned and pulled her back into him, her nose merely millimetres from his. "Oh no, no. I'm just bored."

"I don't think you're merely just looking for a dance." Faith's voice was interspersed with small gasps as she tried to keep up with his energetic footwork as he skipped and span her through the narrow streets. "For one thing, you're taking us away from the square."

"I think I'd draw attention to myself if I danced with you in the square."

"And you're not worried about drawing attention to yourself in the streets?"

He pulled her close to him and his voice was barely a whisper in her ear. "I came through the streets. I know how to avoid the sentries."

Faith's violet eyes widened and her grip tightened in the fabric of his scarf. "I don't want to think badly of you, Enigma, but are you planning on killing someone here?" Her voice was also barely a whisper and her ears strained for any sign of nearby sentries.

Enigma chuckled and span her a few times as they progressed through the alley, now forming a street that led up a slope.

"My interests lie merely in that Furret that joined you."

"Sandpaw?" Faith raised an eyebrow. "Then why didn't you target her instead of me?"

"Well, the last time we had an encounter, she screamed blue murder and the next thing I know I'm locked in a cage."

He span her sharply away from him before she could respond, then leapt past her and spun her ahead of him. The effort of keeping her feet steady as she was vigorously danced uphill made it difficult to speak as she tried to catch her breath. After several more sudden twists, he caught her in his arms again and waltzed her further through the street.

The noise from the party faded into the background, no longer drowning out his bell. Thick shadows spread between the buildings as the sun began to set, and a few stray stars now dotted the sky.

Enigma's movements had slowed now, enough for Faith to catch her breath and speak.

"So why do you want Sandpaw?"

"I don't want her," Enigma said bluntly. "I want information."

Faith looked up at him, her violet eyes locked onto his red ones.

"She came from that lab," he explained. "I want to know exactly what they were up to."

He finally came to a halt and released her. The street he'd stopped on was quiet and the gaps between the buildings offered a clear view of the square. The lack of light here would make it hard for the Pokemon in the square to see them. Faith wondered if this is where he'd waited before moving through the village to catch her.

"We've not been told everything yet," she told him.

"But you've been told something?" His eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms as he leant back against the stone wall of an item shop.

"It wouldn't be my place to tell you," she said.

"But it would be in your best interest." The warning tone in his voice was meant to intimidate her, but she just met his words with a stern glare.

"I'm not going to give vital information to an enemy."

Enigma smirked. "What makes you think I'm your enemy?"

Faith raised an eyebrow at him. "You work for Hydreigon for one thing."

He closed his eyes and snorted out a laugh. The lack of retort or sarcastic comment that followed caused Faith to question the Banette's motives.

She edged slightly closer to him and quickly glanced up and down the street. Still no guards nearby.

"You were locked in that lab," she said quietly. "What did they want with you?"

He fixed his red eyes on hers and folded his paws behind his head. "You know something, don't you?"

Faith returned his stare, maintaining a calm expression. "I think you do as well. You were in that lab. You probably overheard things."

"Oh, I overheard things. I also read some things." He shrugged. "I think you already know those Heretics were planning to invade the Shadow Lands?"

"I don't know their methods. But that's what I heard."

Enigma chuckled and gave her a grin. "You really know nothing else?"

Faith shook her head.

"Pity." He sighed and stared down at the square, then chuckled again. "I bet that Furret does."

"Leave her alone."

Her voice had come out so calm and matter-of-fact that Enigma's eyes snapped to her. She stared at the spot the corner of the shop met the ground, feeling his intense stare on the side of her head. Neither of them spoke for a while, the music and cheerful voices from the square in the distance the only sounds around them.

As the silence dragged on, she became aware he wasn't looking at her any more. She glanced up at him and followed his gaze to the square. She could just make out her group of friends by the table. Harlequin was no longer hiding away, instead talking with a Pokemon she assumed was Scout. She looked back at Enigma again and clasped her paws behind her back.

"You miss her, don't you?"

"Huh?" He looked down at her. "Who?"

"Harlequin."

Enigma grunted and waved a paw in dismissal. "Oh. Him?"

Faith raised an eyebrow. "Him? You think-"

He waved a paw again. "Don't even start. I've heard it all before." He moved away from her and stopped a few paces away, staring down into the square. "Only male Pokemon become assassins. That rule came into place while I was there."

"Oh." She joined his side and watched the group of Pokemon as they laughed together. "I'm going to hazard a guess here, but I'm assuming Harlequin is the reason you stay there?"

He snorted. "What makes you think that?"

"You're lonely."

He let out a single laugh and closed his eyes. "That again? Seriously, Faith, what makes you think I'm lonely?"

"You follow us around."

"I'm doing my job."

"You've had three chances to kill me and yet you haven't."

"In all honesty, the first time is because you hit me."

She looked up at him. "What about the second and third times?"

He cast his eyes to the sky in thought. "The second time you'd rescued me. Killing you would have been rather impolite really. As for now," he shrugged, "I want information."

She laughed and looked back down at the square. "You want company."

He grit his teeth and sighed. "I could push you back down this slope."

She laughed again. "It's not that steep." She glanced back up at him. "You've been alone a lot of your life, haven't you?"

"Why are you questioning me?"

"You asked me why I think you're lonely. I'm answering." When he didn't respond, she went on. "I mean, you're the only ghost in the Shadow Lands, as far as I'm aware. The Shadow Mountains were wiped clean. You're probably the last of your species, staying there merely for the sake of survival."

He flinched and looked away from her.

"Or because you made a friend. You have someone you care about." Faith nodded at the square. "You're seeing how much fun Harlequin is having, and how much she's changed now she's turned away from the Darkness. She might not see it yet, but she's making friends. She's even helped save some Pokemon. You miss her because she's your friend, right?"

"I don't have any friends."

"Harlequin sees you as a friend." She gave him a smile. "And right now, so do I."

He laughed. "Then you're foolish."

"I don't mean to dig up painful memories, Enigma. But while I was prying, you didn't so much as raise a claw to me." She inclined her head on one side. "Tell me, Enigma. Who's side are you on?"

He looked down at her, his eyes cold. "No ones."

"That means you've left the Darkness?"

He said nothing and looked back down at the square.

Faith smiled. "Anyone fighting against it is on the same side."

He remained silent. Faith turned from him and started on the path back down into the centre of the village.

"I'm no hero."

She looked back at him. He was looking at the sky with his paws behind his back.

"I can't take another Pokemon with me when I warp. I can reach into another Pokemon's body, but what good does that do? Yes, I can move through walls, but I can't take another Pokemon through them with me. I can turn myself invisible. I can sneak attack through the ground. How does that benefit others?" He shrugged. "My skills only allow me to destroy. It's all I know."

She stared at him for a moment. The amount of pain behind his eyes caused her heart to break. This Pokemon had seen a lot of death and destruction, and he'd caused a majority of it. It was no wonder he thought so little of himself. She took a steadying breath and unclenched her fists.

"You're wrong."

He closed his eyes and Faith could see his shoulders rise and fall as he sighed.

"If you think you're only capable of destroying things, then prove to yourself otherwise."

"You think I haven't tried?"

"You don't need to be able to take someone with you when you warp," Faith told him. "And moving through buildings could really help someone. Don't focus on picking someone up and carrying them with you, use your strengths to your advantage and help others."

He moved his paws in front of his chest and clasped them together, looking away from the Mawile. Again, he was silent.

Faith watched him for a moment, then glanced back down at the square. She'd been looking for Pokemon to talk to. Looking amongst those who were laughing and enjoying themselves, and here was this assassin lurking in the shadows hiding so much pain inside him behind a mask of sadistic laughter.

And not once had he told her to go away.

Faith clasped her paws behind her back again and smiled at him.

"Xerneas needs more warriors," she said. "I think you'd be a pretty strong one."

His red eyes snapped to hers with a look of alarm and she broadened her smile.

She gave him a small wave and moved down the path into the village. "Stay safe."

 

[Delirious Absol]

40 – A Murder of Murkrow​

Mischief had been observing the other dancing Pokemon as he attempted to join in with Cleo. They hadn't been able to move too far away from the table, but this didn't stop either of them. He took both of Cleo's paws and skipped her back and forth with what she felt was significantly more grace than she possessed, although this could be due to his light-footed gait.

As the music sped up, he released one of her paws and raised the other to swing her under and then back again. She felt her eyes widen briefly with surprise and he laughed at her before pulling her back into him. The warmth of his body melted through her fur and she tore her eyes off his to stare absently at the other dancers behind him.

"I don't think I've ever seen you smile like this," he told her.

"Hey, I can be happy."

"Yes, but you seem more relaxed." He gave her a smile and placed a paw on her back to spin them both in a small circle. "I like it."

Relaxed? She glanced away from him, her left paw clutching the fur on his shoulder. The atmosphere of the party had certainly cleared her mind and she'd got lost in the merriment of it all. She hadn't realised she'd been feeling more at ease, but he'd picked up on it. She laughed and let him swing them both around again as the music picked up its tempo.

She'd lost count of how often the music had changed, but they must have been dancing for quite a while. They swapped places as Mischief led her under his arm and Cleo spotted Faith returning to the table, a joyous smile on her face. Cleo felt her own smile grow at the sight of the Mawile, always so cheerful and laid back with nary a harsh word to say to anyone.

Maybe she could try to be a little more like that herself.

Mischief pulled Cleo back into himself, placing a paw on her back to steady her. He gave her a smile and Cleo felt her face flush again.

"I'm getting pretty tired," he said. "Shall we go back to the table for a snack?"

Cleo laughed and gave a small nod.

He released her and they headed back to the table. Harlequin had climbed out from beneath it to talk to Faith. Scout was jumping around amongst the plates with a berry stem in his paws, trying to avoid harmless streams of static from Spark. Cleo guessed he must have been hit by one because the fur on his long tail spiked out at dramatic angles.

Faith gave Cleo a massive grin. "You two look like you were having fun!"

"Oh, we were." Mischief squeezed Cleo's paw lightly then made a beeline for what was left of the berries.

Faith continued to smile at Cleo, and Harlequin stared at her with a crinkled nose. Cleo found herself trying to hide her face behind her neck fur to no avail.

Faith let out a tinkle of laughter. "Oh, Cleo. That was too cute!"

Cleo felt herself blush even more. "What? It was just a dance."

Faith covered her mouth and laughed, and Harlequin let out a snort.

"I don't understand why you bother with this nonsense," the Zorua mumbled.

"Really?" Faith asked her. "Have you never had a mate?"

"Nope." Harlequin stood and turned away from them to grab some food off the table. "Don't want one either."

Faith chuckled and clasped her paws behind her back, leaning in to Harlequin. "I don't believe that for a minute."

Harlequin looked at her, a piece of dried fish hanging from her mouth. She said nothing, instead her blue eyes narrowing into slits.

A movement on the table distracted them and Scout stopped before Harlequin, poking at her nose with the berry stem.

"A warrior needs to be valiant! You should be protecting that Mawile!" He leapt from foot to foot and pointed the stem at Faith. "Don't worry, pretty lady! Your knight is here!"

A flurry of static struck him and all his fur stood on end. He dropped the berry stem to look down at himself, his large eyes wide with amazement.

Harlequin laughed so hard she had to dig her claws into the table to avoid falling over. "You look like a colbur berry!"

The rest of the Pokemon burst out laughing and Cleo had to press her paws into her stomach. The little Sentret did look ridiculous.

Scout joined in with their laughter, doubling over onto all fours before he lost his balance.

"Oh boy!" said Spark between giggles. "I'm sorry about that, Scout!"

"What happened?!" Sandpaw ran over, her mouth turned up into an amused smile. "Oh, Scout. You do get into some fun, don't you?" She smoothed out his fur and looked down at the other Pokemon.

Cleo's ears twitched and she looked back at the dancing Pokemon. Everything had been brought to a halt as a deep, siren-like horn blared out across the square.

The sentries from the streets began to flock amongst them, shouting commands that were drowned out by panicked cries.

"What's going on?" Sandpaw asked.

"That!" Spark pointed at the darkening sky.

A thick, black, flapping mass descended on the square, loud caws cutting through the air and scattering the Pokemon into the streets. The formerly friendly Pokemon scrambled over each other, throwing others behind them as they tried desperately to flee from the flock of Murkrow.

Cleo watched the flock of black birds in horror as she tried to rack her mind for some way to fend them off, then she remembered the attacks Xerneas had taught them. The moves they'd learned that would help them to fend off dark and dragon types.

She unfurled her ears as several of the Murkrow flew at them, letting out a yell followed by the pink and purple flash, knocking three of the birds out of the sky and sending the rest of them fluttering backwards with cries of alarm.

There was a flash next to her, followed by Faith in her mega form. She swung her dual horns at the remaining Murkrow, sending them rolling backwards into the ground where they were trampled by frightened Pokemon.

Everything happened so quickly but it seemed to go in slow motion.

Spark's electricity flashed across the square, engulfing a small portion of the flock, and the paralysed Murkrow fell to the ground while others flapped about as small sparks of electricity danced across their feathers.

The numbers were vast, too many for them to handle. Cleo kept striking out with the disarming voice, but the Murkrow grew wise to this and overwhelmed her with their numbers. Violent beaks struck her body, followed by a surge of electricity as Spark tried to remove them. The Murkrow fell away, but Cleo's body jerked uncomfortably as the electricity left her body.

She moved stiffly across the square, taking down more of the Murkrow to join those that had been taken out by Spark and Faith.

She could see Mischief cowering under the table with Harlequin and her eyes widened. He wasn't helping?

She opened her mouth to call out to him but all that came out was a pained yell, and her eyes unfocused as something collided with the back of her head. An explosion of cawing filled her ears and she saw a Murkrow drop to the ground in front of her, its body broken before it hit the stones.

A flash of lightning lit up the square, bolts flying around in an erratic pattern. Cleo and Faith leapt aside to try and avoid the spectacle, and Cleo turned just in time to see Spark rolling head over tail towards the table. Two Murkrow flew at her, their wicked talons spread as they aimed for her.

"Spark!"

Scout shot across the square to the fallen Dedenne and waved his paws at the Murkrow. He shouted something, but Cleo couldn't make it out over the din of flapping wings and tormenting caws. Their claws aimed for his head, but they were knocked backwards as Harlequin darted from beneath the table. She stood protectively over the Sentret, her canines bared at the Murkrow as they turned their eyes on her.

The two Murkrow rose back into the air to swoop at her, joined by one of their kin. One by one they dropped as a shadow ball struck each of them square on.

Spark rose to her feet as another Murkrow flew at her. It fell to the ground, struck by another shadow ball.

Cleo looked around at the square, but all she could see were fighting Guild members and flapping wings. Another disarming voice cleared some of her field of vision, but not enough to see through the crowd.

Faith ducked, swinging her horns over her head to strike at the overwhelming numbers above them. She took down four Murkrow and another one dropped to a shadow ball.

A stream of fire cut through the rest and a warm body backed into Cleo. She looked over her shoulder to find Meredith standing behind her, a flaming branch clutched in one paw.

Could he have fired those shadow balls?

"Thank you," she gasped out.

"Any time."

He aimed his burning branch and sent another flamethrower into the air, bringing down a number of flaming Murkrow.

Cleo turned to fire three more disarming voices to clear the Murkrow that swarmed her from overhead. They left a clear view of Spark standing beside Harlequin as the Zorua blocked the Sentret from the Murkrow's nasty claws. Spark was taking down any that dared to get too close.

The numbers had thinned significantly and the Murkrow now found themselves at a disadvantage. The remaining Guild warriors were more than enough to deal with the rest of the flock.

With a string of frantic caws, the Murkrow retreated back into the sky, leaving behind their wounded and fallen brethren. The sky cleared, their caws fading into the distance.

Cleo stood gasping for breath as she looked around at the destruction left in the square. Various wounded Pokemon lay on the stone floor, surrounded by feathers and fallen Murkrow. Some of the Outcasts were still breathing, but several had been killed in the battle. Cleo felt her heart break at the sight and she fell onto her bottom on the floor.

"Scout!"

Sandpaw raced across the square towards Harlequin.

"Scout!"

Harlequin stepped aside and the Furret scooped up her son, checking him for signs of injury.

"I'm okay, mum," he said. "Harlequin and Spark didn't let them get to me."

She looked up at the scratched and beaten Zorua and Dedenne. Her eyes welled with tears and she pulled them both into a crushing hug.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!"

The Furret sobbed, her head resting on the back of Harlequin's neck.

Cleo felt a paw on her shoulder and she looked up at Meredith. The Delphox still had his eyes on the sky.

"This isn't the first attack on this village," he told her. "But it's definitely the worst."

He helped her to her feet and moved away from her, shouting commands at the remaining Guild warriors. It looked like the nurses were arriving as the sentries and warriors gathered up the fallen Pokemon onto stretchers.

"Cleo?"

She looked round to see Mischief slowly moving towards her.

"Are you -"

"Why didn't you help us?" she asked.

His face fell and he lowered his paw. "I..."

"We needed you." She closed her eyes and turned away from him.

She didn't say anything else. She moved away across the square, stepping over the fallen Murkrow.

...​

Enigma moved through the streets, keeping himself invisible perchance any Pokemon should pass him. He looked back over his shoulder at the narrow street that led to the square.

Those Murkrow had seemed to come from nowhere, swooping down to attack any Pokemon they laid their eyes on. All he'd been able to do was watch.

It was when they went for Harlequin he decided he couldn't just watch helplessly any more. He breached his own safety to fire those shadow balls, and each one had knocked out the Murkrow it hit.

He stared down at his claws. Was that the Pokerus taking effect, or were those Murkrow just frail little Pokemon?

He shook his head and pressed on, letting his paws fall to his sides.

He'd only stopped picking them off when he heard someone move behind him. They'd not seen him. It had been a sentry making their way to the square to help. He'd made himself invisible and stepped out of the way.

That was all he could do, but he'd helped.

He'd used his strengths to help those Pokemon, striking unseen from the shadows.

He'd never helped anyone before. It was a strange feeling.

Enigma closed his eyes and chuckled, running a paw over his head. Maybe that Mawile was right. Maybe he could help others.

He just had to work out how.

 

[Delirious Absol]

41 – Bad News​

Cleo lay on the hay in the little hut behind the Guild, Harlequin only a mere foot away from her. She'd barely noticed the Zorua follow her back, as she'd not even protested.

Silence filled the little hut as Cleo ran the events over in her mind. The massacre that had fallen on the square had cost lives, and as much as they'd fought to protect the Pokemon there, she couldn't help but feel it was their fault in the first place.

Those Murkrow were probably looking for them. They had a price on their heads. All those Pokemon had been attacked because of them.

After they'd helped Meredith and the others check over the wounded and deliver berries from the store to the ward, Cleo had excused herself as she was feeling exhausted and retreated back to the hut. Faith had wanted to stay in the ward to help, and as for Mischief, he wanted to make up for 'being useless', as he'd put it.

Useless...

Cleo flinched.

She'd been really cold towards him, but she knew his reasons. If he'd helped, he might have snapped, and then there'd be even more casualties than there already were.

A loud yawn caused Cleo to open her eyes and she looked at the door. Spark stretched and strolled into the hut, followed by Faith and Mischief.

"Wow, am I tired now!" Spark flopped down on the hay next to Cleo. "It must be well past midnight, right?"

Faith gave a light chuckle and sat down on the other pile of hay. "Are you feeling better now, Cleo?"

Cleo shrugged. "A little."

"That's good then!" Faith beamed. "I think I should stay up and keep an eye open. You know, in case they come back."

"I'll do it."

Cleo looked from Faith to Mischief. He was still standing in the doorway, avoiding her eyes.

"Nonsense!" Faith stood up and ushered him into the hut. "You've done a lot. You need your rest."

Mischief gave a snort. "You've done more."

"Well, I offered first." Faith put a paw on his shoulder and fixed her violet eyes on his. "Seriously. Get some rest."

Mischief stared at her for a moment, then looked away and nodded. He stepped back from her and let her slip out of the door. With a quick glance at the Mawile, he took her spot on the hay and fell back with a hefty sigh.

Cleo craned her head to look at him. "Mischief?"

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

"I'm sorry," she said. "For getting upset, I mean."

"You had reason to be upset," he said flatly.

"No I didn't. I know you didn't want to risk hurting anyone. I should have appreciated that."

He stared at the ceiling in silence for a while before replying. "I need you to understand me, Cleo."

Cleo sighed and closed her eyes. "I thought I was."

"You're right that I don't want to hurt anyone. But I don't want to watch others being hurt either, and those Pokemon were everywhere."

"Well, I'm afraid being attacked happens a lot, Mischief."

"Yeh." Spark sniffed. "This is a war."

"I'm aware of that." Mischief paused. "So the next time that happens, and you need me, I'm going to defend you."

Cleo looked at him.

"But you have to promise me something," he said.

"What?"

"Promise me you'll run." He was staring at the ceiling but Cleo could still make out the seriousness behind his eyes. "And don't come back for me until you're sure I've fainted."

Cleo didn't know what to say. All she could do was stare at him. Sure, she could see where he was coming from. If he were to risk having a burst of madness then it only made sense for them to run, but she wasn't sure even Mischief could handle an attack from a flock of Murkrow. He was a grass Pokemon after all, Pokerus or not. What if the tables turned and he needed their help and they weren't around to give it because they'd ran?

The thought stabbed at her heart. She closed her eyes and rolled onto her back.

"Okay," she said. "I promise."

There was a long pause and silence filled the little hut. Cleo wasn't sure how anyone else felt about the situation, but there was one thing that definitely didn't settle well with her. She opened her eyes and stared at the wooden rafters as her mind ran over the night's events. The chaos of flapping black wings and maniacal caws.

"But I'll never abandon you," she said.

Mischief snapped his head round to look at her. "What?"

"I'll run, but I won't abandon you," she said again. "If I think you need me, I'll stay and fight."

She could feel him looking at her. She glanced at him, meeting his eyes. He said nothing, probably realising it was pointless to argue. He'd known her long enough now to know she wouldn't abandon her friends. If he was willing to risk his life for her then he should expect the same in return.

"Heh!"

They looked to the door. Faith was leaning outside, holding out her paw.

"It's raining!"

Spark sat up and rubbed her eyes. "It is?"

"Yes." Faith looked back at them and smiled. "I think I'd better sit inside."

The Mawile retreated backwards into the hut, perching on the edge of Mischief's bed of hay. She kept her large, violet eyes on the world outside and crossed her paws over her knees.

"The air's turned cold too," she told them. "If it gets any cooler, we might be in for some frost."

Faith was right. The temperature had dropped.

They gathered the hay together so they could group up for warmth.

As the night progressed, the rain turned heavier and the wind picked up, blowing the rain sideways. It pelted against the wooden hut, growing in intensity until it sounded like someone was throwing tiny stones at the walls.

Despite the direction of the wind, it caught in the doorway, sending a chill over the Pokemon as they tried to sleep.

Cleo opened her eyes as she felt a paw tug at her arm. She looked back at Mischief. The Whimsicott was visibly shivering. He wrapped a paw around her middle and pulled himself closer to her. Cleo's heart did a flip and she looked away from him but before she could process what was going on, Harlequin's curled-up form caught her eye. The Zorua's blue eyes were fixed on the two Pokemon and she crawled across the hay towards them. The bracelet gave a small jolt and Harlequin stopped a mere inch away from Cleo. She turned her back on them and curled up as small as she could. A shiver racked her body as the wind blew through the door, bringing a flurry of slushy rain with it.

Mischief stood up and scrambled over Cleo, nudging the Meowstic backwards and causing a protest from Spark who was huddled in her fur. Mischief fell down between Cleo and Harlequin, and the Zorua's head jerked up in surprise. He rolled onto his back and gave Cleo a smile before closing his eyes.

Faith fell down at Cleo's other side, lying with her back against the Meowstic and keeping her eyes on the door.

Cleo felt a small smile tug at her lips and she let herself huddle into Mischief's fluffy fur, the smell of pollen filling her senses. Harlequin lowered her head onto her paws and gave a wide yawn, the shivers fading from her body.

...​

Enigma sat huddled under a tree, trying to shelter from the sudden downpour. The tree's lack of leaves didn't provide sufficient cover as the water fell effortlessly through the branches and struck his body with an endless flow of ice-cold droplets.

He looked back at the village, now shrouded in the dark of night, the houses nothing more than little black silhouettes against the grassy mountainside. With little to no moonlight, even the lake looked dark; deadly should anyone be unfortunate enough to not see it as they strolled through the glen.

Enigma tore his eyes away and pulled his scarf around himself as the rain grew heavier. All he had to do was wait it out. He'd been sitting here for long enough, his fur now soaked through and each gust of wind seemed to chill him to the bone.

So this was it. The cold season had officially started, and he had nowhere to go. He didn't belong anywhere. No one would want him. He'd tarnished his reputation long ago, becoming nothing more than a ruthless killer.

Yet that Mawile had called him a friend.

Enigma chuckled and pulled his sodden scarf firmly across his torso. Foolishness. Why would anyone want someone like him as a friend?

Harlequin, maybe. That Zorua had always stuck by him, laughing at his jokes, and now he'd gone and left him.

Faith was right. Harlequin was the only reason he'd stayed in the Shadow Lands. A long time ago, he'd wanted to leave, to ditch the place and run, but it was too risky. Telling Harlequin that would only have caused him to risk both their lives, he knew that all too well. Yurlik's watchful eyes were everywhere in the Border Woods, keeping an eye out for new outlaws and rebel activity.

For some reason, he'd kept going back. Killing, following orders, gathering information, taking lives... It had become a way of life, a nasty habit, nothing more than a desperate bid for survival.

Fear had corrupted his mind, he could see that now.

And now Harlequin was no longer there, what reason did he have to go back?

None whatsoever.

He laughed again, leaning back against the tree.

He was free now.

Freedom... he'd been too young to remember what that felt like.

A strong gust washed over him and he shuddered, huddling further into his scarf.

He closed his eyes and tried to brace himself as the wind blew flurries of slushy ice into his face. The wind howled through the trees, an eerie cry that only seemed to emphasize the emptiness of the hills around him.

A stark contrast to the cheerful laughter he'd heard only earlier that night.

He may very well be free, but he was still alone.

The wind continued to wash over him, but the bitter cold flow of rain eased off, becoming nothing more than mere damp air. He opened his eyes and looked over his shoulder, shivering as he looked out across the dark glen at the village. When he finally stood up, his body was stiff and unwilling to co-operate. His breath came in ragged bursts and he rubbed his paws frantically over his freezing arms until the feeling came back.

Water flowed from his scarf onto his feet and he grabbed the front end, straining it out onto the grass. The entire thing was sodden. It would take ages to dry.

He was about to remove it to give it a good straining when he froze. Someone was watching him.

He looked up and standing several feet away was an Absol, his crimson eyes fixed on Enigma with a look of disgust. His white fur was plastered to his muscular frame, and water dripped from from his face and ruff. On either side of him stood a Pawniard, the both of them completely identical. Enigma looked from each Pokemon, trying to assess the situation. The Absol's eyes narrowed and the claws of his right paw dug into the earth.

Enigma knew when he wasn't wanted. He leapt up into the tree, warping a safe distance away until he was sure the Absol had lost sight of him. But Enigma still had the Absol in his vision. He stared back at the black and white Pokemon as he twisted to look up into the trees, the two Pawniard turning left and right. It didn't take them long to give up and move away into the hills.

Enigma tutted and removed his scarf, sitting back against the tree as he tried to strain it dry.

If there was one thing he knew about Absol, it was that they brought nothing with them except bad news.

He was pretty sure who that Absol was, however. He could tell by the look of loathing in his eyes. A look of loathing worn by outlaws who'd been fleeing for their lives for years as they fled from the Darkness.

He'd heard him mentioned enough times to put the pieces together. An Absol who had been believed dead.

He was Harlequin's missing 'friend', Harbinger.

...​

Cleo twitched her nose as something tickled it. She wafted it away with her paw, but when it didn't relent, she rolled onto her back and swiped at it.

"Hey!"

Her eyes snapped open and were met by a rather cross Spark clutching her tail in both her tiny paws. Faith was sat behind her chuckling at the Dedenne.

"Sorry," Cleo mumbled as she sat up.

"I was trying to wake you," Spark explained. "It's morning and I don't wanna miss breakfast again." She shrugged. "I could have gone without you, but I was being polite and waiting." She paused, then added: "Impatiently."

Cleo smiled at Spark's frustrated stare and looked down at Mischief as he stirred. Harlequin was lay with her head across his chest, fast asleep.

"Should we wake her up?" Faith asked over her shoulder.

"Yes," answered Spark.

"Hmm?" Mischief's eyes fluttered open and he looked up at his friends. "Why are you all staring at me?" His eyes moved to the sleeping Zorua and widened, his mouth opening to say something but words failed him.

Harlequin's blue eyes snapped open and fixed on his. A look of realisation crossed her face and she sat bolt upright with a yell, leaping to her feet and jumping backwards. The collar jolted, keeping her ahead of her feet and she fell face-first into the hay.

Spark burst into fits of laughter, tears streaming from her eyes. She pointed at Harlequin as she keeled over, clasping a paw to her stomach. Any words she tried to gasp out ended up interrupted by her uncontrollable laughter.

Harlequin sat up and glared at her. "It's not funny!"

"Ih-!" Spark took in a sharp breath. "It is!" She fell onto her stomach and rolled onto her back in fits of hysterical giggles.

"Oh my." Faith chuckled behind her paw. "I think we need to get Spark some food. She's going delirious with hunger."

Harlequin's eyes snapped to Faith then she looked back at Spark. "It's not funny! It means nothing!" She glanced at Mischief and quickly looked away. "I was cold. Don't read into it."

Spark sat up and looked at her. "Oh I wasn't laughing at that! I was laughing at you falling over. But now that you mention it..." She let out a snort of laughter but recovered herself and inclined her head on one side. "Was he a comfy pillow?" She exploded into hysterical fits of giggles again.

Harlequin's eyes widened and snapped to the Dedenne.

Cleo picked up Spark and headed for the door. "Let's get you some breakfast."

The others followed her outside and Harlequin grumbled as she came last through the door.

"You are getting too comfortable around me."

Spark looked back at her. "I think you're the one getting comfortable."

Cleo shook her head and sighed. "If she were still clearly an assassin, I'd berate you for teasing her."

Harlequin closed her eyes and sighed. "You let your guard down once and suddenly you're going soft."

"I think you need to lay off her now," said Faith. "Besides, it's nice to see she's happier with us."

They reached the door to the Guild and Cleo stopped, looking at the Meinshao guards. She scratched her head and looked down at Harlequin.

"Huh. We still can't take you inside."

Harlequin snorted and looked away.

Spark's jaw dropped. "Aww no! I wanted to choose my own food this time!"

"You go on ahead," Cleo told the Dedenne. "I'll wait out here."

"Are you sure?" Spark hopped off her shoulder and looked up at her.

"Yes. Just... could you also get the supplies Meredith promised us? And send Tinker my way too?"

Spark grinned and nodded. "Sure. Mischief!" She looked up at the Whimsicott. "Can you help me carry stuff?"

Mischief gave her a smile. "Of course I can."

He skipped after Spark. Faith took a step after him and looked back at Cleo.

"Are you sure you just want to wait out here?" she asked.

"It's rules," Cleo explained. "Just send Tinker out here with a plate, we'll be fine."

Faith nodded her understanding and followed Mischief's vanishing form through the double doors.

Cleo turned and sat with her back against the stone wall of the Guild. Harlequin sat down next to her and snorted.

"You could have just removed your bracelet and fastened me somewhere."

Cleo looked up and down the street. Sure, she could have done that, but it meant leaving other's at risk. Or being accused of leaving other's at risk. She was beginning to strongly doubt that Harlequin posed much of a threat any more.

Other Pokemon, however, might be a little harder to convince.

"Cleo!"

She looked back at the door. Tinker and Meredith were making their way over to them. Tinker looked rather happy, but Meredith on the other hand looked a little bitter. She attuned that to the events of the previous night, which now hit her with full force. Spark's jovial jibes had alleviated those awful memories.

"As promised." Tinker paused beside her and dropped a small pouch into her paws. "Your pay for running this task."

"Thank you." She stuffed the pouch into her bag.

"I want to thank you for your help last night," Meredith told her. "I've never seen those attacks before, or the form change your Mawile friend took on. Whatever they were, they certainly helped." He paused and looked down at Harlequin. "I do fear that those Murkrow were after you, however."

"They were after all of us," Cleo told him. "We're planning on moving out of here as fast as we can. Then hopefully you can sleep peacefully for a while." She looked up at the Delphox. "Those who were injured – how are they now?"

"We've lost no one else. They're recovering." Meredith glanced away from her. "I do want to ask you more about those attacks you used, but if you're in a hurry -"

"Faith would be glad to explain," Cleo told him. "She knows a lot more than I do. You'll catch her in the dinner hall."

Meredith smiled at her. "I'll do that." He moved past Tinker and gave him a pat on the shoulder before slipping back into the Guild.

Tinker watched him go then looked back down at Cleo and Harlequin.

"I have some news for you, actually, Cleo."

"Oh?" Cleo's eyes widened briefly.

"Yes. Your new Furret friend." Tinker leant against the wall and crossed his arms. "I'm going to take her to New City."

Cleo made an involuntary gasp. "Already? Are you sure she's safe?"

"Positive." He turned so his back was against the wall and stared at the opposite buildings. "The news she gave me was a little unsettling actually. That group of Heretics were not actually Heretics but an offshoot that had fallen out with the main group. Their use of Pokerus was to inflict this new fairy type – which they were calling Type 18 – to amass an army that could infiltrate the Shadow Lands. However, their plan wasn't very well thought out."

"What do you mean?" Cleo asked.

"Well, this Pokerus has a very nasty side effect. It can render the Pokemon affected with it completely insane."

Cleo's mouth dropped open but no words came out. Completely insane? Did that mean...?

Tinker rubbed a paw over his mouth and continued to stare at the opposite houses. A few Pokemon wandered past, casting nervous looks at Harlequin.

"I'm a little concerned about Mischief," Tinker went on. "If that means he might be susceptible to this, then your safety may be compromised."

Cleo said nothing. Her eyes drifted to her paws and she wound them together.

Harlequin glanced at Tinker out of the corner of her eye. "There's no cure to this Pokerus, is there?"

"No," Tinker answered. "None that we know of anyway."

"Then we need to find one," Harlequin said flatly.

Tinker clasped his paws behind his back and looked down at the Zorua. "That might actually be in your best interest, Harlequin. Because their biggest mistake might be your biggest setback."

Harlequin looked up at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Their latest, and last, victim to be affected with Pokerus is your friend Enigma."

Harlequin's jaw dropped and her sapphire eyes widened, filled with instant despair. "What?"

"Yes." Tinker shrugged. "Either you find a cure, or he'll have to be destroyed."

"You can't-!"

"He's a threat to the Guild. He's also a threat to you. So long as you are with Cleo, that puts all of you at risk."

"And the ticking time-bomb we're stuck with isn't?" Harlequin snorted.

"That 'ticking time-bomb' is tied to the same fate," said Tinker. "If he shows any signs of worsening, then... well, we'll have to see. If there's no cure, it would be unfair to him and to the rest of you to keep him alive."

Cleo leant forwards on her knees. It felt like someone had reached into her chest and crushed her heart. Is this what it did? Was this Pokerus nothing more than a slow death? It slowly took over the affected Pokemon until they were consumed by a permanent state of madness... an empty shell that worked as nothing more than a killing machine. And those Heretics didn't even care.

"I'm sorry, Cleo." Tinker's voice was oddly soft. He let out a sigh and kicked himself away from the wall. "I'm going to get as many Pokemon as I can on the case to find a cure. Mischief and Enigma aren't the only ones out there who are suffering from it. Unfortunately, there are countless Pokemon who escaped from that lab who are out there right now, putting thousands of lives at risk."

"What are we going to to about that?" Cleo's voice came out strained as she continued to stare down at her paws.

"We need to find them. Lock them up. Help them if we can." He paused. "I'm going to get other warriors in on this mission as well. It will take a long time, but..." He trailed off and turned back to the Guild. "Do take care, Cleo."

Tinker's footsteps resounded off the wooden steps as he retreated back into the Guild. Cleo couldn't speak. She was barely even looking at her paws any more.

"I'm sorry."

She glanced at Harlequin. The Zorua was staring blankly at the houses opposite them.

"I know you care about him. There's... got to be a cure somewhere. There's a cure for every poison."

"You think it's a poison?" Cleo asked. "It's a parasite."

Harlequin looked at her. "Then we poison the parasite." She looked away again as Cleo's face filled with shock. "We just need to find one that won't poison the host."

"That..." Cleo stared back down at her paws dumbfounded. "That's actually genius."

Harlequin let out a single laugh. "The problem is finding it."

"Ahh!"

They looked round at the happy squeal. Sandpaw was running down the steps towards them with Scout, Mischief and Spark.

"There you are!" Sandpaw clutched a tray in her paws, stacked with various food. "We brought you something. You must be starving!"

Spark waved at them from Mischief's shoulder. "We couldn't leave you out here on your own, so we came to join you!" She elbowed Mischief in the jaw. "It was actually his idea."

Mischief blushed and ran a paw over the back of his head. "Well... you're all alone, so..."

Cleo stared at him and a pang shot through her chest, filling her eyes with tears. It was all she could do to not throw her arms around his neck and sob into his fur.

"What's wrong?" Mischief's smile faltered and he looked down at her.

"Nothing!" Cleo forced a smile and rubbed her paw over her eyes. "Just sit down and join us."

Mischief beamed. "All right!" He flopped to the floor beside her and grabbed a berry from the tray.

"Where's Faith?" Harlequin asked.

"She's still talking to Meredith." Spark took a bite out of a sitrus berry. "She said she'll meet us out here in a bit."

"Harlequin?"

The Zorua looked up at Sandpaw.

"I wanted to thank you again for saving Scout last night." The Furret edged over to the Zorua and pulled a pink scarf from her bag. "I want you to have this."

Harlequin leant forward and sniffed it. "It's woven with pecha berries?"

"Yes. I thought it might be of use to you." Sandpaw fastened the scarf around Harlequin's neck and stood back to admire her work. "It suits you, actually."

Harlequin looked down at the scarf and stuttered. "Th... thank you." She met the Furret's eyes briefly and looked away.

Scout hopped onto her head and grinned at her. "I told mum you'd be better off with a cape, but she said that would look silly."

Harlequin rolled her eyes and looked up at him. "I agree with your mum."

Scout laughed. "But heroes are meant to have capes!"

Sandpaw scooped up her son and laughed, fixing all of them with fond smiles. "Tinker is taking us back with him, so this will be the last time I see you for a while. Thank you all for helping us. Who knows where we'd be right now if you hadn't?"

Cleo shrugged. "It's nothing, really. You two take care."

Mischief waved a paw and gave her a huge smile. "If he's taking you back then we'll definitely see you again. Right?"

Sandpaw nodded and backed away towards the stairs. "Yes. Hopefully."

Despite the feigned smile she gave them, she kept an air of joviality in her voice. She made her way back up the stairs to the Guild. Scout waved his paw with a loud cry of 'bye!'

Cleo looked away from her and stared at her half-eaten fish. Tinker must have told Sandpaw. She clearly knew, and was trying to hide it.

As the Furret opened the door, Meredith stood aside with an apology, letting her through before he descended the steps towards them with Faith and Mulch.

"I have to say, what you are telling me is fascinating!" He closed his eyes in a smile. "If I hadn't seen your form change for myself, I'm not sure I'd believe you!"

"Oh I'm glad!" Faith clapped her paws. "I'm not saying that attack was good, but something good certainly came from it! I'm glad you got to see mega evolution in action!"

Meredith laughed. "Well the second time wasn't a disappointment either, Faith."

"Ahh, that it wasn't!" Mulch grinned widely. "I'm glad I got to see it myself! I've never heard of it before now."

The Delphox placed a paw on Faith's shoulder. "Really, I could honestly talk to you for hours!" He looked at Cleo and the others and gave them a smile. "But from what you've told me, you're on a mission to find a fire type Pokemon. I'm just so sorry I'm not the one you're looking for."

"So are we." Cleo stood up and smiled at him. "You're a talented fighter, Meredith."

"Thank you, Cleo!" He laughed. "But seriously, I can do my best to help you. If you're looking for fire Pokemon, your best bet may be to try a desert."

"Desert?" Spark lowered her berry to look at him. "Is there one nearby?"

"Sadly no. You'll need to travel quite far, I'm afraid."

"There were a fire island many years back," said Mulch. "I dunno what's happened to it, if it's still there with all this war going on, but you might want to try there! It were filled with ground and fire type Pokemon. Many of them migrated that way."

Meredith scratched his head. "I've never heard of that."

"That's because you're a youngun, Meredith." Mulch nudged him playfully and guffawed. "Well, I best be getting back inside! Maybe I'll see you again, Faith!"

The Garbodor threw his long arms around Faith's shoulders and pulled her into a crushing hug. Faith laughed and returned the favour. When he let her go, he laughed again and gave them a wave before returning to the Guild.

"I'll be going too now, I'm afraid." Meredith waved a paw as he climbed up the stairs. "Be sure to gather any supplies you need, Cleo. It's the least I can do." He gave them a smile and nodded to Harlequin, then vanished through the door.

"Well." Faith clasped her paws behind her back and smiled at them. "To the desert? That's exciting!"

Cleo looked at each of her friends and sat back down beside Mischief. Tinker's words were still echoing around her head, along with Harlequin's. She wanted to explain the situation to them, but if Mischief heard it, it would crush him. She tried to hide a flinch. The last time he found out they were holding something from him he'd been devastated. But this... how would he react?

They needed to find that cure.

A poison to kill a parasite without harming the host... did such a thing even exist?

 

[Delirious Absol]

42 – A Mistake?​

"What are you looking for?"

Sandpaw watched Tinker anxiously as he paced along a thick wall of brambles that lined the rocky outcrop, spreading along the Glen for several yards. He knew what he was looking for, but rarely having any use for it he'd quite misplaced it over the years.

"I can't divulge that information out loud," he told her under his breath.

Sandpaw flexed her paws and glanced back down the steep slope. Tinker followed her gaze briefly. The river sparkled in the sunlight as it wound away to join the lake a mile back the way they'd come.

He turned his attention back to the bushes, parting the leaves but finding nothing but rock. It should reassure him, but he was growing rather frustrated. The Murkrow attack had unsettled him, and he worried they might be lurking nearby. Being a mere fighting Pokemon, he wouldn't stand much of a chance if he were caught in an onslaught of beaks and wings.

He leapt back with a small yell as a small brown shape burst out of the bushes with a squeal of glee.

"Hey, mum! I found a cave!" Scout hopped from foot to foot and scurried back to the spot he'd come from. "Look, look!"

Tinker broke into a trot to follow the little Sentret. He vanished into the brambles and Tinker crouched down on all fours to peer in after him. There was indeed a cave. A grin spread across the Riolu's face and he crawled in after him.

"Oh, you don't need to entertain him," Sandpaw said as she watched after him. "Scout, get back here!"

"No, it's quite all right," Tinker told her over his shoulder. "Follow me, please."

The Furret dropped onto all fours and followed the Riolu through the narrow cave. Scout was stood about half way down, bouncing in front of a large, round stone slab.

"This! Look! It's got a drawing on it!"

Tinker stood, his ears brushing against the ceiling, and pulled his badge off his bag. He stuck it into the small sun-shaped hole and pushed a button on the back of the badge. There was a small click as a needle shot out into a hole, unseen by himself and the other two Pokemon.

"What is this?" Sandpaw asked, still crouching in the small space.

"This," Tinker began, "is an exit from New City. It isn't normally used as an entrance, and only I am able to use it as one."

"Only you?" Sandpaw paused for a moment and glanced back the way they'd come. "But what if other Pokemon need to get inside?"

"For safety reasons we have more exits then entrances. That way, if we need to make an escape, we know which ones are safe." He looked back at her. "I wouldn't question this too much. Besides, once you are behind this door, you won't be leaving."

"Not leaving?" Sandpaw's eyes widened. "But... I was planning on going to find the Fairy Garden Faith mentioned when Scout is old enough to travel with me."

Tinker frowned and twisted the badge, letting the slab roll away from the opening. He slipped inside and ushered Sandpaw after him.

"Once this closes, that's it. You're on your own."

Sandpaw scurried after him, pushing Scout ahead of her. The stone slab slid back into place with a low rumble, followed by a click that echoed off the dark walls.

"Cool!" Scout exclaimed.

"You need to let us leave at some point," Sandpaw told Tinker.

"Once you've proven your loyalty, you may be gifted a badge," Tinker explained. "But they are only really given to Guild members."

"So you still don't trust us?"

"I never said that. I just said you need to prove your loyalty. If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't be bringing you with me at all."

He turned away from the Furret and moved on down the dark tunnel, which eventually turned into stairs leading further underground. The way was lit up by occasional torches, a sign that the tunnels were still manned by the Guild's guards. Despite the way the entrances and exits worked, you could never be too careful.

"How long does this go on?" Sandpaw asked.

"These tunnels run miles underground," Tinker explained. "They cut out a lot of the trickier routes you'll find above ground. But despite that, we still may need to camp in this tunnel."

"So it will take us a while?"

"Yes, unless you want to move on without sleeping?" He looked back at her. "But I don't think Scout would appreciate that."

"I can go without sleep!" the little Sentret exclaimed. "I'm strong!"

Sandpaw chuckled. "We'll see."

The ground levelled out and they pressed on down the dark corridor. Tinker had no idea how long they'd been moving, occasionally nattering about meaningless things, when a dark form appeared in the dim light provided by the torches.

Tinker narrowed his eyes to look at it. Their paw steps gave their presence away as it turned its large head to look at him, revealing it to be an Excadrill. The Excadrill raised one of his paws, his large claws glinting in the flickering light.

"Tinker! I'm afraid I'm going to have to stop you!"

Tinker's eyes widened and he trotted over to the large Pokemon. "Is there a problem?"

"Stop!"

Tinker came to an abrupt stop and stared at the large mole Pokemon.

"There's a big problem." The Excadrill looked up and pointed at water dripping from one of the air vents. "That rain fall last night has flowed through one of the vents in the trees. Water's been cascading down so much so that the ground here has become so soft it's caved in to the tunnel running below it."

Tinker looked down slowly. His paws were mere centimetres away from a gaping hole. The soil crumbled and dropped into the darkness below.

"We're working on filling it in," the Excadrill explained. "But I'm not sure how we're going to fix this up to be honest. We might just need to completely fill in the tunnel below, and wait it out until the soil's settled before digging through and reopening it."

Tinker nodded slowly. "That sounds best. But... we do need to keep heading this way. Is there no way across?"

The Excadrill made a thoughtful noise and looked away from him. "I'll see if I can find some way to help you and you're friends. Wait here, and step back from this hole before it caves in even more and drags you all down with it!"

Tinker nodded again and took a couple of steps back.

"And I'm just wanting to warn you," the Excadrill went on, "that the ceiling may be at risk of coming down too. Are you really willing to wait or do you want to retrace your footsteps back out of here and find another way in?"

Tinker looked back at Sandpaw and Scout. It was quite a risk. He sighed and ran a paw over his head.

"It will be dark before we reach the next entrance. We run too much of a risk outside being found by Murkrow."

"Oh no." Sandpaw covered her mouth and pulled Scout in to her. "What do we do?"

"We have no choice." Tinker shrugged. "We wait."

"All right then! Can't say I didn't warn you." The Excadrill gave them a wave and disappeared down the corridor.

"Oh, great." Tinker sat back against the wall and sighed. He had no idea how long they were going to be stuck in that tunnel.

...
​

"They just won't stop!"

Spark leapt out of the way of a Murkrow's talons and fired off another discharge into the air, bringing down a couple more of the relentless birds.

Cleo and Harlequin stood with their backs against Faith's front as they braced themselves to attack the Murkrow, flapping their wings amongst the canopy preparing to swarm them again.

The walk from the village away from the Glen had been going smoothly so far. It wasn't until they reached the small mountain wood that obscured their next destination that the Murkrow had attacked. It was as though they'd been waiting, aware of their next move, perched amongst the branches watching them.

A couple of disarming voices had taken the Murkrow by surprise, causing them to rethink their strategy and causing Cleo to question whether or not it was the same flock that had attacked the village. Faith's Mega Evolution wasn't met with much surprise, however, and Cleo's doubts were cleared away.

It was definitely the same flock.

Cleo glanced over at Mischief who was bracing himself to assist Spark if need be, but so far the overwhelming Murkrow were being dealt with by the Dedenne's electrical attacks and Cleo's lone fairy move.

A handful of Murkrow swooped from the canopy from all directions, trying to overwhelm Cleo, but they were met with another disarming voice, causing two of them to drop to the ground and another to keel back from her, dazed with the impact. The ones that came from her blind spot were bashed from the air by Faith's horns in a swift play rough that Cleo heard but couldn't see.

"They're being rather cautious," said Faith. "We might be stuck here for a while."

"Unless we go all out," said Cleo.

"We can't do that," said Harlequin. "It would mean breaking up and they could pick us off."

Cleo let out a 'hmm' at that. Harlequin was right, and since the collar was on her, she was pretty much a dead weight unless the Murkrow got in close enough for her to use physical attacks.

One of the Murkrow let out a caw, which resounded throughout the flock as they cawed in return. What followed next was another swoop from the Murkrow, but this one was followed up by another wave of them.

Cleo had to think fast, striking the first wave of Murkrow. She couldn't see what success Faith was having, but the rain of black bodies around them meant she'd knocked several of them from the sky. A flash of lightning lit up the trees as Spark sent out a discharge, bringing down more of the Murkrow.

As the discharge cleared, a large beak gaped near Cleo's face. She unfurled her ears, striking the Murkrow with another disarming voice. Something struck her on the back of the head, smacking her across the ears, cutting her attack short. She keeled forwards as the bird struck the floor. Her head was now throbbing. She placed a paw gingerly on the tender spot, her eyes going in and out of focus.

A choked cry filled the air, drowned out by a growl and the sound of flapping wings. Harlequin was shaking a Murkrow in her jaws. She dropped it and looked up at Cleo.

"Are you okay?"

Cleo looked round slowly at the Murkrow. Their confidence had returned and they shot from the sky like wicked black darts. Cleo unfurled her ears and a jolt of pain shot through her head. She fell back, clasping her paws over her ears.

Flapping, black wings filled her vision and sharp claws snatched at her paws and ears as she tried desperately to shield herself. Her heart was in her throat as she realised with sheer horror there was nothing she could do. The voices of her friends were nothing but noise, not registering in her mind.

Someone collided with her body, knocking her sideways into the trunk of a tree. She looked round as a purple flash exploded through the air. It faded away to reveal Mischief where she'd been standing, anger reflecting behind his eyes. Murkrow fell to the ground like a black rain. What remained in the air flapped their wings uncertainly, swerving left and right as they surveyed the situation.

This Whimsicott hadn't been putting up a fight until now. The Murkrow had to rethink their strategy.

She looked back at him, his paws clenched into fists as he leered at the Murkrow above him. He'd saved her life... again. If he hadn't knocked her aside, she would have been overwhelmed by snapping beaks and raking talons.

What seemed to be the lead bird cawed at the other Murkrow around it. It swerved to the left, leading the flock down in a spiral towards the Pokemon below.

Mischief fired another dazzling gleam at them, cutting through the flock and taking out a large number of them. What made it through were engulfed in a discharge or caught in the jaws of Faith's dual horns.

Mischief wasn't letting up. He sent another dazzling gleam into the remaining Murkrow. The flock lost its morale, the remaining birds circling into the canopy with frantic caws. Several energy balls followed them, striking one or two but not quite meeting the ones that were furthest away. The Murkrow vanished into the bare branches, leaving their victims and fallen brethren behind.

Cleo turned to Mischief warily, and her fears were met by the maniacal expression in his eyes.

'Promise me you'll run.'

"Finally!" Faith clapped her paws together and turned to Cleo.

Cleo raised a paw to stop Faith, but the Mawile moved towards her, tracing over her with concern.

"You took quite a-"

Her words were cut off as an energy ball struck her in the chest. She flew backwards, her eyes wide with alarm as she tried to put the pieces together.

Mischief fixed her with a wicked grin and fired a barrage of energy balls at her. Faith lost control of her mega form, and it faded from her as she collapsed back into the rough trunk of a slender tree.

"Hey!"

He turned his eyes onto Spark. Electricity danced from her cheeks and her eyes narrowed into slits.

"Leave her alone!"

A fine thunder wave shot from her whiskers but Mischief leapt away, gliding on the light breeze. He fired another energy ball at Spark. She jumped backwards, just dodging it, but another one struck her head on as he fired them out in quick succession. She rolled through the air and collided with a tree, slumping to the ground unconscious.

Cleo shook her head, her mind boggled. They were completely at the mercy of his madness, and there was nothing she could do to help them with that pain shooting through her ears. The Murkrow attack had been relentless, giving them no time to run. She watched helplessly as Mischief advanced towards the fallen Dedenne.

Then an idea struck her.

She looked down at Harlequin. The Zorua stood with her mouth agape, shaking her head as she watched the Whimsicott.

"Harlequin."

She snapped her head to look up at her. Her eyes then moved to Cleo's wrist as she snapped the bracelet free from her paw.

"I need you to get in there and grab Spark," she said. "I'll distract Mischief."

"How?"
Cleo's paws fastened around Harlequin's collar. She froze, watching Cleo out of the corner of her eye. With a sharp 'chunk', the collar came apart in her paws and she stood back, letting it fall to the floor.

"I don't know." She looked back at Mischief. He'd grabbed Spark by her tail and was dragging her across the ground, gleeful giggles filling the woods with an air of malice. She shook her head and looked back down at Harlequin. "I'll think of something."

Harlequin nodded and turned, racing across the woods towards the Whimsicott.

Cleo took a couple of bold steps forwards. "Mischief!"

He turned his orange eyes onto her, the Dedenne's tail still clasped in his paw.

Cleo frowned. "Let her go."

Mischief closed his eyes and laughed, lifting Spark up by her tail. He swung her over his head and launched her through the trees. Cleo's heart sank as she watched the little Dedenne fly helplessly through the air.

Harlequin leapt towards her, catching the small Pokemon in her mouth. She skidded onto her back, damp leaves and dirt streaking across the ground and clinging to her fur. Leaping to her feet, she shot through the trees to safety.

Mischief's orange glare locked onto Cleo and a wicked grin spread across his face. He moved towards her slowly, silently. She took a nervous step back but held her ground. If she ran now, there was a chance he'd turn on Faith. She restrained herself from glancing at the Mawile. If she did that and he decided to follow her glance, she might lose his attention.

Although it was unlikely. She was still on her feet, still a moving target.

Cleo was suddenly aware her throat felt dry. The Pokemon moving towards her no longer looked like Mischief. Rather than the carefree friendly look he always gave her, all she could see behind his eyes was maniacal madness.

It frightened her.

She took another step back, meeting the rough bark of a tree. A look of alarm must have crossed her face because Mischief took this opportunity to lunge at her, stopping a mere arm's reach from her. Her heart hammered against her chest and she pressed herself up to the tree.

She was trapped. There was no way she could run now.

She swallowed drily and tried to look as confident as she could.

"Mischief..." Her voice cracked and she took in a ragged breath. "I know you're in there."

A maniacal chuckle escaped him and he reached up and grabbed her ruff, pushing her into the tree, the rough bark scraping against her fur. Her breath caught in her throat but she didn't take her eyes off his.

"Mischief, I know you'd never hurt us. This isn't you."

No, whatever was controlling him definitely wasn't him.

He'd shown her kindness, saved her life, danced with her, spent time with her.

She raised her paw and let it rest on his shoulder. His eyes snapped to it, his grin twisting into a sneer.

"This isn't you..."

Her claws wound into his fur and she blinked back tears, trying to swallow down the lump that rose in her throat. His glare snapped back to her again and his eyes softened briefly, and his grip loosened on her ruff. Whatever mania remained in his eyes was replaced with panic and he stepped back, shaking his head violently as he warred with whatever it was that was going on in his mind.

She'd never seen him react like this before. He normally just wore himself out and collapsed with exhaustion. Whatever she was doing, it seemed to be working.

She took a step forward and reached out to him. "Mischief?"

"Cleo..."

He didn't look at her, both paws clasped over his head. She rushed over to him and grabbed his shoulders.

"Mischief?"

"No, I..."

He grasped both her arms, his sharp claws digging into her flesh as a blind fury filled his eyes. He shook his head again violently and Cleo flinched as he released her and stumbled back.

She lurched forwards and grabbed his fur, pulling him back towards her. She landed on her knees, dragging the Whimsicott down with her.

"I know you're in there! Come back to me, please..."

He leant into her as he fell to the floor, placing both paws on her shoulders to steady himself. He was close enough to her now for her to smell the pollen on his fur, the familiarity of it causing her to relax.

"Cleo..."

His breath tickled her face and she loosened her grip on his fur. There was no malice in his voice any more, no efforts to try and attack her. Was he back? She tried to meet his eyes, raising a paw to his cheek. When he looked at her, that maniacal madness had been replaced by a tenderness that made her heart skip a beat. She inched closer to him, catching his lips in hers.

His body froze, his claws digging into her shoulders. Then, for a brief moment, he kissed her back before his strength left his body.

Cleo released him, her paw going to her mouth as Mischief slumped to the floor. He looked up at her, his large eyes wide with confusion.

"Cleo?"

She scooted back from him, clasping both paws over her mouth as she stared down at him. He closed his eyes as exhaustion claimed him.

Cleo was barely looking at him any more, her mind too busy trying to work out what had come over her.

A small movement behind her was followed by a small voice as Faith crouched down beside her.

"What... what happened?"

Cleo said nothing. She closed her eyes and looked away from Mischief, her gaze locking for a brief moment on Harlequin with Spark sat on her back.

The Dedenne cleared her throat. "Is now a bad time to let you know my back hurts?"

 

[Delirious Absol]

43 – Snowfall​

Yurlik had watched the battle unfold from his perch on a thick tree bough. It had looked like his Murkrow soldiers might actually win, but then that Whimsicott jumped in and drastically reduced their numbers.

Then the Whimsicott turned on his friends.

Yurlik had watched this with great interest as he picked off the Mawile and Dedenne before rounding on the Meowstic. But she'd intervened. She'd survived.

And the other two... they'd survived also.

Then there was Harlequin. What was he doing helping them?

"You look distressed, fatso."

Yurlik's red eyes snapped to focus on Enigma sitting in a nearby tree. The Banette watched him with a look of amusement as he licked a thick red paste off his paws. The familiar smell reached Yurlik's nostrils instantly. Colbur berries...

The Honchkrow sneered and looked back down at the woodland floor. The group of Pokemon were gathering themselves together, discussing what they were going to do next, however the Whimsicott was still out cold.

"You're planning on jumping them aren't you?"

Yurlik glanced at the Banette. He was watching the Pokemon below with a small half smile playing across his face.

"What business is it to you?" Yurlik growled.

"None whatsoever." Enigma fixed him with a crimson stare and licked more berry paste off his claws. "But I am intrigued as to why you're just sat there, doing nothing."

Yurlik said nothing, trying to focus all his attention on watching the Meowstic and her small group of friends.

"I mean, you could always go down there yourself," Enigma went on. "I never understood why you just send your goons in to do your dirty work for you. You're a lot bigger than they are."

Enigma chuckled and Yurlik felt his feathers bristle.

"I think you should just drag your feathered tush down there and give it a shot. Besides, the Dedenne's awake now. It should be interesting." The Banette chuckled again, keeping his crimson stare on the large Honchkrow. "I always wondered what a fried Honchkrow looks like."

Yurlik snapped his head round to leer at Enigma. "Those colbur berries can only protect you so much, you know!" He clicked his beak and glared at the Banette's stupid grin. "Aren't you supposed to be gathering information?"

"No." Enigma folded his paws behind his head and yawned. "I'm bored of that now. I think I'll just stay here."

"Or you could get back there and report?" Yurlik mumbled, dragging his attention away from Enigma.

"I don't think so. I have no intention of going back."

Yurlik snapped to look round at him again. His eyes narrowed at Enigma's nonchalant expression.

"No intention?" the Honchkrow sneered.

"Nope. None whatsoever." Enigma closed his eyes and shrugged. "I have to say, I'm pretty fed up of being bossed about by a massive bully and a stupid dragon."

Yurlik launched himself across the branches to throw a sucker punch at Enigma, but his head struck the solid trunk of the tree as the Banette warped away. Yurlik shook his head sharply, spreading his wings to maintain his balance on the slender branch. The Banette's maniacal giggles and tinkling bell faded away as he warped to safety.

Yurlik cursed under his breath and clicked his beak in irritation. First Boomer and now Harlequin and Enigma? How on earth was he supposed to break this news to Hydreigon?

...​

"Cleo, we can't stay here indefinitely." Faith placed a paw on the Meowstic's shoulder. "We need to move on."

"Yeh." Spark sniffed. "All these Murkrow bodies are making me feel uncomfortable."

Cleo stood up and stepped back from the unconscious Whimsicott. "Yes, I agree. Let's move."

She unfurled her ears to lift Mischief off the floor and cringed as that pain shot through them again.

"Don't worry about carrying him," said Faith. "I can do it."

"No." Harlequin lowered herself so Spark could leap off her back. "You got hurt. I'll do it."

"Really?" Spark looked down at her and moved stiffly across her shoulders, flinching with the effort.

Cleo scooped up the Dedenne and set her safely in her neck fur. She wasn't sure whether it was the collision with the tree or her tail being pulled that pained her friend, but she made a mental note to check her over when they found somewhere to camp out for the night.

Faith lifted Mischief onto the Zorua's back. "He isn't too heavy for you?"

Harlequin snorted. "No, he's mostly just fur!"

Cleo had nothing to say. Her mind was still reeling with everything that had happened. She felt embarrassed, but none of her friends were pressing her for the details of her actions. She turned away from Harlequin and moved through the trees, a dull throb resounding in her ears. She spotted the collar and bracelet combo lying discarded on the floor and hesitated before gathering them up.

Harlequin paused beside her. "Are you wanting to put them back on?"

The Zorua sounded slightly disappointed. She obviously thought she'd won the Meowstic's trust.


Cleo looked down at her then back at the collar. With a sigh, she stuffed them both into her bag.

"No. You've shown you can be trusted."

Harlequin looked at them each in turn. "Really?"

Cleo turned to face her. "Yes."

"Of course!" said Faith with a grin. "You've helped out more than you think these past couple of days!"

"And you did save my life," said Spark. "So who am I to complain?"

Harlequin smiled and let out a small laugh. She moved on ahead with a glance back at Cleo.

"Let's... get Mischief somewhere safe so he can wake up. The last thing he's gonna want to see is all this."

Cleo gave one last look around at the Murkrow massacre then followed the Zorua through the trees.

"I've just realised something," said Faith. "Without that collar on, you'll be able to assist us with the fairy type move you learned!"

Harlequin froze, Mischief almost sliding off her back. Faith stopped beside her and looked down at the Zorua.

"Is something wrong?"

"I didn't learn it..."

Faith raised an eyebrow. "You didn't?"

"Xerneas tried to teach me disarming voice, like Cleo." Harlequin glanced up at the Mawile. "But I couldn't do it."

"Oh..." Faith scratched her head.

"Was it because of the collar?" Cleo ventured to ask. "Because I thought it didn't work in the Fairy Garden."

"No." Harlequin started to move on. "I could use other attacks. I just couldn't manage that one."

Faith followed after her slowly. "Maybe... maybe you need more practice?"

Harlequin shook her head. "Xerneas told me it'll come to me when I realise how much I need to fight against the Darkness."

"You are fighting against it. Now the collar is off, you can try and see if you can use it?"

Harlequin looked back at her. "The thing is, Faith... I don't know how. What do I say? Do I need to shout anything special?"

Faith went quiet, clasping her paws behind her back. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out and she looked at the ground as she kept pace beside Harlequin. For the first time since she'd met her, Cleo was witnessing Faith rendered speechless.

"I'll trust what he said," Harlequin went on. "That it will come to me eventually."

Faith nodded. "I... I think that's best. I believe there's more to it than what you shout." She paused. "Hope doesn't shout anything special. I think what Xerneas meant about needing to realise how much you need to fight against the Darkness is that you may need to realise the full direness of the situation."

"I already know the world's a mess," Harlequin said bluntly.

"But do you know how much you need to fight it?"

Harlequin glanced away from Faith and went silent, her eyes almost unfocusing as she entered her own thoughts.

The direness of the situation... was there more to learning to use those attacks than just outright learning them? Cleo's mind was too boggled to fully fathom what Faith had just tried to explain.

The small group walked on in silence, the land sloping gently upwards. The woods weren't very big, and they were soon through them.

The land opened up into an explosion of green rolling hills that seemed to go on for miles where they eventually rose up even higher into tall, rocky mountains topped with white. The odd tree was scattered here and there, but the landscape before them was pretty much bare leaving them feeling exposed.

They waded through the grass which rose up to Cleo's middle. Very few Pokemon had been this way recently, leaving the land virtually untouched. There was no sign of any nearby towns or villages from what they could see. Cleo had no idea how long they'd be left sleeping out in the open.

"I can't see any sign of a desert," Spark muttered from amongst Cleo's neck fur. "All I see is green."

Cleo nodded sadly. "I've no idea where to go. Instinctively, I want to head to the mountains."

"I agree. We'd get more cover there."

"But more risk of landslides." As Harlequin looked around, Mischief almost slipped to the floor. She grabbed his paw in her jaws to steady him on her back. "But if you want to head that way, I'm not complaining. We're rather exposed out here."

"But we want to find a desert, and Mulch mentioned an island of fire and ground Pokemon," said Faith. "If we want to find either, we should head to where it's warm. The mountains are capped with snow."

Cleo looked up at the mountains again. At this time of year, most mountains were capped with snow. Green hills, rocky mountains... no sign of any sand.

"Speaking of which." The Mawile held out a paw, catching a soft falling white flake which melted as soon as it touched her fur.

They looked up at the sky. The fluffy white clouds above them had decided to release their load onto the earth. White flakes of snow floated down towards them, growing in size and intensity, scattering the green grass with a dusting of white.

"This is only going to get worse," said Faith. "We need to find somewhere to put up our tent."

Cleo nodded, and looked around. "Can you suggest where?"

Faith glanced back at the little wood and shook her head. "I'm not sure. We may have to walk and find somewhere."

"Hmm." Cleo nodded. "Retracing our steps wouldn't be wise either. Those Murkrow might still be waiting in there."

"Yeh. I don't really feel like fighting them any more." Spark huddled into Cleo's fur. "Let's just walk. We might find shelter in the mountains."

Harlequin moved closer to them and inclined her head on one side. "The upside to this weather is the Murkrow and dragon Pokemon won't risk travelling in it. On the other hand," she nodded to Mischief sprawled across her back, "it's his weakness too. If you're worried for his safety, I suggest we find shelter and fast."

Cleo watched after the Zorua as she moved away towards the mountains. She'd been a little anxious not putting the collar back on her, but Harlequin seemed to be making an effort to help.

"Given the chance, anyone can change. But for some reason you can't see that."... "All the Pokemon here were seeking solitude. That's how they found this place."... "If she didn't want to be here, she'd be stood in an empty clearing wondering where you'd vanished to."... "What you're clearly too blind to see is that in the Shadow Lands it's either obey, run for your life, or die!"

Was it really that simple? Were all Pokemon looking for solitude in this war? Given the chance, even the worst of the worst could just... change?

"You might not be my friends, but I'm no longer your enemy."

Cleo felt a small smile tug at her lips and she followed after Harlequin, raising a paw to shield her eyes from the quickly intensifying snowfall. Harlequin had given a village an antidote, protected a child from the attacks of a Murkrow flock, saved Spark from Mischief... It was hard to convince herself that this wasn't some elaborate ruse, but if Harlequin had really wanted to hurt them, then what was stopping her from turning on them now?

"Give it time, Cleo," she muttered to herself.

Spark looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Having doubts?"

"Not quite." Cleo hugged herself and watched the snow fall around her. "I'm fighting them."

...​

The wind whipped snow violently through the air, obscuring the group's field of vision. The sky seemed darker than it should be, the blue sky blocked out by a wall of thick clouds.

Mischief had been wrapped in the yellow sheet they normally used for a tent, which made it a little more difficult for Harlequin to carry him. It worked to keep the worse of the snow off his body, but sooner or later the fabric would become sodden with freezing water.

"This one's no good either," said Faith, shielding her face as she looked back at Cleo.

The Mawile had been referring to the tree coming up in front of them. Cleo gave a small sigh. No low branches. This had been the fifth tree they'd passed that hadn't been good enough to provide them shelter. With the violent snowstorm, they no longer had a clear view of the mountain which meant they had no idea how close they were to it.

"We could break some of the branches off?" Spark suggested. "Use them to prop up a shelter somehow?"

Faith craned her neck to look up into the tree. None of them could reach those branches, and even though Cleo could now uncurl her ears, it still hurt to use any of her abilities.

"I could shoot some branches down," said Harlequin. "But if I misfire, the whole tree is going to come down."

"Misfire?" Spark shouted over the wind.

"It's hard to see in this snow!" Harlequin turned away and braced herself as a wave of frozen wind blew over them. "I'm getting worried we're going to freeze to death!"

"We won't," said Faith. "This storm will be over sooner or later."

"Later and we'll be little frozen Pokemon icicles!" Spark hugged herself and huddled further into Cleo's fur. "I'm starting to lose hope!"

"No, don't do that!" Faith gasped. "Look, we'll find somewhere. There's bound to be more trees."

"How about a bush?"

Harlequin was stood a few feet away from them. Cleo could just make out her shadowy form in the sheet of white air. She pushed herself through it and noticed the Zorua was looking back at them from beside a large leafy bush. It towered over them, and seemed to be dense enough to provide sufficient shelter.

Harlequin vanished inside it and Cleo and Faith didn't hesitate to follow her. A few branches provided a small obstacle but once past it they found themselves sitting in a little den of leaves and twigs. The wind howled away outside and the occasional small gust found its way through little gaps in the bush's leaves, but the snow was kept at bay.

Faith gave a squeal of glee and clapped her paws, a huge smile spreading across her face.

"Even now, Xerneas is helping us!"

They followed her gaze to a patch of tiny, colourful flowers dotted around the edge of the bush.

Cleo felt her eyes widen and her jaw drop. It wasn't the first time she'd seen those flowers.

Harlequin made a loud gasp and looked up at Faith. "He put this bush here?"

The Mawile was still grinning widely, clapping her paws together. "Of course!"

"Wow." The Zorua sat down and lowered Mischief slowly to the floor. "I... I don't even..."

"This is fantastic!" Spark leapt from Cleo's shoulder and flinched slightly as her feet struck the ground. "You know what? I think I'm gonna lie down and see if that fixes my back."

"Let me take a look." Cleo scooped Spark onto her lap and ran a paw down her spine. She gave a small sigh of relief. "Nothing's out of place."

"That's good to know." Spark yawned. She hopped off Cleo's lap and lay on her back. "How are your ears doing?"

Cleo shrugged. "Better than they were."

Faith scooted over to her and placed a paw behind her ears. Cleo's face twisted in a grimace and she flinched away.

"Ouch!"

"They're bruised," said Faith flatly. She gave Cleo a small smile. "That's all. Nothing serious."

"I wasn't worried it was serious." Cleo gingerly rubbed the back of her head. "But... thank you."

Faith chuckled and leant back on her paws, staring at the wall of leaves. "Do you want me to keep watch?"

"I think we're hidden enough."

"From eyes, yes," said Harlequin.

Cleo looked down at her. The Zorua had curled up next to Mischief, having removed the yellow cloth and discarding it beside one of the walls.

"Some Pokemon have fantastic noses," she explained. "One of us should stay awake."

"I can do it." Faith gave them a smile. "The cold doesn't bother me that much."

Cleo fixed her with surprised eyes. "Don't sit out in the snow, Faith."

Faith raised an eyebrow. "How can I keep watch if I don't know what I'm watching?"

"Exactly. They'll probably smell you before you see them."

Harlequin gave a small nod. "Cleo's right. Watch from in here." She curled up smaller, placing her paws over her tail. "That's what I'm doing."

"She has a point," said Spark. She licked her lips and stared up at the ceiling of the bush. "I'd like a berry."

Deciding that was a fantastic idea, Cleo pulled the supplies from her bag and divided up meals for the four of them.

"Ooh! You have cheri berries!" Spark leaned forward to grab them.

"Just one," Cleo told her. "You have some recovering to do."

Spark chuckled and snatched up one of the cheri berries, falling back onto her bottom next to Faith.

"I take it those are your favourites?" Faith smiled down at her.

"Oh yes!"

The two broke into a light conversation but Cleo became quickly oblivious to it. She looked back at Harlequin still curled up next to Mischief but happily tucking into the dried meat she'd offered to her. Harlequin looked up at her, catching her eye, but Cleo looked past her at the unconscious Whimsicott. Small, slushy patches of melting snow covered parts of his head and horns. She looked away sharply and let out a sigh, frowning down at her fish. She'd been a massive idiot.

"Don't wanna talk about it?"

She looked over at Spark. The Dedenne clutched an oran berry in both paws and fixed her with a look of concern.

Cleo looked away. "Not really." She took a bite of her fish to make her point.

"All right. But it might help."

"How? He's probably going to remember." Cleo lowered her fish. Everything suddenly felt suffocating, and she found herself craving open air. She stood up and made for the small gap in the bush.

"Oh don't go outside!" Faith leant forward and grabbed her paw. "It's freezing."

Cleo flinched and sat back down.

"Besides," said Spark, "you never know. The memory loss might work in your favour." She paused. "That is, if you don't want him to remember."

"I don't know," Faith began. "I wouldn't assume remembering is a bad thing. I mean... I've seen the way he looks at you."

Cleo shook her head. "My head's a mess right now, I don't want to talk about it." She dropped what was left of her fish into her bag. "I think I need some sleep."

"Cleo?" Harlequin raised her head and fixed her with her blue eyes. "I hate to bring this up right now, but... we need to keep him warm."

Cleo looked back at Mischief. Harlequin was right. Despite the shelter from the wind, it was still cold. She flexed her paws and glanced away. Everything felt really awkward now. She gave herself a mental shake. He was still her friend, and Spark was right. He might not remember.

She moved over to him and paused, brushing the remains of the snow from his head. Giving a small sigh, she withdrew her paw. "I'm sorry."

It was ridiculous really. He couldn't hear her. She moved to his other side and fell back onto the damp ground.

Really... if she could turn back time...

She closed her eyes and let out a long sigh.

"I've just realised something," said Faith. She looked round at the others with a smile. "I don't know how you lot met."

Harlequin fixed her with one eye. "Does it matter?"

"Well, we've no idea how long this storm will last." The Mawile crossed her paws onto her lap. "If we're going to be stuck here for a while, we might as well pass the time, huh?"

"Good point," said Spark. "Where do we begin?"

Faith shrugged. "Start with you. How did you meet Cleo?"

Cleo flinched and stared up at the leaves over her head. That wasn't exactly a memory she wanted to re-live.

"I think Cleo and I are the same on this one," Spark explained. "We don't really like thinking back at it."

"We might as well tell her." Cleo pushed herself up on one paw to look at Faith over Mischief and Harlequin. "You could say we're both survivors."

"Oh?" A look of sadness crossed the Mawile's face. "If you don't want to bring it up, then-"

"It's fine," said Spark. "You already know we're worried about facing the Wildfires. There's a pretty good reason for that. They attacked our village."

Cleo nodded, hiding another grimace behind her paw. "My family like many other Meowstic lived in the old Sparkling Forest. You will probably now know it as the Forest of Ashes."

Harlequin lowered her head onto her paws and diverted her eyes. "It doesn't take a genius to work out what happened to it..."

"No." Cleo flopped onto her back. "It was ransacked by Howlinger and the Wildfires. One of the first places to go, when he suddenly decided to wipe out all psychic type Pokemon. I was just an Espurr at the time. I'd left my home to go playing outside the forest on the Rocky Plains, but when I came back the entire place was ablaze. I heard this crying and I looked down and there was Spark. This tiny little Dedenne who'd been told to run, leaving her family behind."

"They put me out of a window," Spark explained. "My parents were cornered in flames, but they didn't make it. I just used my size and hid."

"I realised I wasn't alone in that disaster, so I picked up Spark and went to find help. Eventually we stumbled on the Guild. They were taking in refugees and we decided after a while we wanted to help others who'd suffered like we had."

Faith looked down at her paws, her jovial smile now gone. "I'm sorry to hear that." She paused. "This world really is suffering right now."

"Yup." Spark blinked her large eyes and looked over at the unconscious Mischief. "As for him, however... he robbed us."

"What?" Faith's eyes widened and she snapped to look round at the Whimsicott. "He robbed you?"

"Yup! Talk about an ice breaker, eh?"

Cleo chuckled drily. "It was what happened after that which solidified his part in our little group."

Faith inclined her head on one side, silently waiting for Cleo to elaborate.

"We were attacked by a Noivern – Boomer to be exact," Cleo went on. "Mischief took him out. He saved our lives."

"Oh!" Faith exclaimed. "I wondered what had happened to have assassins after you."

Harlequin chuckled. "Saved your life, huh? I can relate to that."

The other Pokemon looked down at the Zorua. Her blue eyes were moist, but Cleo wasn't sure if it was from her own memories or the stories she'd heard.

"What do you mean?" Faith asked.

"Shortly after I met Enigma," Harlequin began, "he saved my life."

"Really?" Spark raised an eyebrow. "I have to admit, I didn't exactly think assassins looked out for each other. I've seen enough Murkrow ditch their allies to come to that conclusion."

Harlequin snorted. "Well, he's not a Murkrow." She paused and licked her lips, looking thoughtful as she wondered whether or not she should share her story. Finally, she went on. "It was after a training session. I got upset that I might have to evolve, despite not using standard fighting methods. Unfortunately you're not allowed to wear things like everstones in case they're used against you – snagged, lost and used for tracking and so on."

"But doesn't Enigma wear a scarf?" Cleo asked.

"His bell and scarf are made from ghost materials," Harlequin explained. "He can manipulate them. Unlike us, who can't do such things. Anyway, I got upset and tried to figure some way to carry an everstone without having to wear it around my neck. The only thing I could think of was embedding it into my body in some way, so I tried to bury a shard of it in my leg." She stretched out her right foreleg and nodded at it. "You've probably noticed I have a limp. It's more noticeable when I'm tired."

Cleo was speechless. She stared down at the Zorua's limb, and could make out a spot where the fur was finer. She'd not noticed it before, but there was some evidence of scarring barely visible through her dark fur.

"Wow!" Spark gasped. "Talk about taking things to extremes!"

Harlequin flashed her canines at Spark then went back to her story. "Enigma found me. I don't remember much of it, it's a bit of a blur. But he removed the shard and sealed up the wound. If he hadn't found me, I likely would have bled to death."

Cleo looked away from her, her mouth still hanging open. She shook her head, now aware the entire bush had fallen into silence. She decided to break it by asking the one question that had surfaced in her mind.

"So you're afraid of evolution?"

"Pretty much," Harlequin answered.

"But... he removed it," said Spark. "How have you not evolved?"

The Zorua shrugged. "I don't think he got it all. A small piece may have broken off in the process."

The others were silent for a moment, listening to the wind howl through the air and the soft patter of snow striking against the bush's broad leaves.

"I'd like to ask what happened to make you afraid," said Faith. "But some fears aren't exactly logical."

Harlequin curled up and looked away from the Mawile, but Cleo caught a glimpse of a frown before she flicked her tail across her face to hide it.

Spark yawned loudly and stretched her tiny body. "Well, I think I'm going to get some R and R." She hopped over to Cleo and curled up by her feet. "See you in the morning."

"That's not a bad plan." Cleo rolled over onto her side, keeping her back to Mischief. "Wake me when it's my shift, Faith?"

Faith smiled. "Sure thing."

Cleo closed her eyes. Their conversation hadn't done much to alleviate her conflicting emotions. Hopefully a good night's sleep would clear her head.

 

[Delirious Absol]

44 – A Sheet of White​

The Servine examined the hole in the tunnel floor, flinching away from the occasional flurry of snow that was blown down through the air vent. Tinker watched him with his arms crossed, leaning against the wall beside Sandpaw and Scout. It was no fault of the Servine's, but his patience was growing thin. They'd been stuck in this tunnel now for almost a day.

"How is it looking?" Tinker asked.

"I don't know." The Servine looked up at the Excadrill behind him. "Are you sure it will hold?"

The Excadrill shrugged. "I dunno. Hopefully, because that's a long drop."

Tinker heard the Servine gulp and look anxiously back down at the hole.

"Do we need to go back?" Tinker pointed behind him, his voice coming out flustered. "Find another entrance?"

"I did suggest that, but you didn't want to." The Excadrill crossed his large paws. "Are you losing your courage now, Tinker?"

Tinker frowned. "I wouldn't talk to your superiors like that, Ironclaw."

The Excadrill snorted and looked away from him to examine the soil at the edge of the hole.

"I think it'll hold," he told the Servine. "Give it a shot."

"All right then." Despite Ironclaw's words, the Servine sounded uncertain. He sent two vines out from the leaves around his neck across the hole to the other side. "Who's coming first?"

"Send the child." Tinker nodded at Scout.

Sandpaw scooped up the little Sentret and held him to her chest. "No, if it gives way -"

"There's less a chance of that with him," Tinker told her. "He weighs next to nothing!"

"I'd rather be certain it can hold more!"

"Do you want to go first?" Tinker asked.

Sandpaw stared at the hole for a moment and took a small step back, shaking her head.

Tinker let out a small sigh and ran a paw over his head. Females and children first. That was his priority in the safety of the Guild. They'd get to safety and the warriors would fight. But right now, this stubborn, nervous Furret wasn't making things easy for him. If she needed reassurance that this procedure was safe...

"Fine. I'll go first." Tinker approached the Servine's vines and looked back at Sandpaw. "If he carries me over successfully, will you follow me?"

Sandpaw bit her lip and glanced away from him. She gave a sharp nod and took another step back.

Tinker frowned and looked back at the Servine. "Ready when you are."

The vines wrapped around his chest and arms and he was lifted off the ground. Air rushed past his ears as he was whisked to the other side and lowered down beside Ironclaw.

"Okay! That's one down." The Servine stretched his vines across the hole again.

Tinker smiled at Sandpaw. "Nothing to worry about. Are you coming?"

Sandpaw hesitated, staring down at the green vines.

Scout wriggled in her grip. "Come on, mum! It looks like fun!"

"O-okay." Sandpaw let Scout hop to the floor. "Take him first."

"Woohoo!" Scout sprinted to the Servine's vines.

In one swift motion, the little Sentret was whisked to the other side. He hopped up and down, waving his paws eagerly.

"Come on, mum!"

The Furret wrung her paws together and slowly paced over to the hole. The strong vines were secured around her body and she gave a yelp as she was whisked into the air. She stood shaking as she was released from the vines next to Tinker.

"Whew!" The Servine ran a paw across his brow. "I have to say, I was worried this wasn't going to work! I'm glad you're all safe!"

Tinker gave him a small smile. "Well, we couldn't have done it without you. Thank you." He then looked at Ironclaw and gave him a nod. "Both of you."

The Excadrill returned it with a smile. "Glad to see you're finally on this side of the hole."

"Can I go again?!" Scout hopped up and down in front of the Servine, his paws stretched up to him.

The Servine laughed. "No, I don't think you're mum would be very happy with that." He looked up at Sandpaw.

The Furret looked down at her son then back at the hole before turning her back on it.

"I'd... rather get as far away from that hole as possible."

A flurry of snow blew through the air vent, dotting the ground with soft, white flakes.

Ironclaw snorted. "It's getting colder. I'd rather put this area behind me for now. Let's get a move on."

"I agree," said Tinker. "The cold season has officially set in. There's no sense in freezing ourselves. Let's move on."

"We may as well accompany you back to New City," said Ironclaw. "I need to head back anyway. I can't fill that hole in on my own."

"We'd be glad of the company."

Scout looked up at the Excadrill. "Are you a hero?"

Ironclaw chuckled. "I wouldn't say I'm a hero. I just maintain the tunnels."

The little Sentret pointed at the Servine. "But you are. Right?"

The Servine blushed bright red. "I uhm..."

Sandpaw laughed and nudged Scout ahead of them. "Come on, Scout. Don't mither."

They turned from the hole and marched down the dark tunnel towards New City.

...​

The snow had eased off by the time Cleo was woken for her shift. The wind had dropped, creating nothing more than a gentle breeze through the branches of the large bush.

She ventured to peer outside, pushing the leaves aside. The snow fell steadily, vanishing into the vast sheet of white that blanketed the long grass. The green blades had been almost completely covered, poking up here and there where the blizzard hadn't beaten them down to hide beneath the thick snow.

She stepped outside, the pads of her paws momentarily shocked by the cold surface of the soft, white snow. It was still dark, the stars hidden behind thick clouds. The moon was barely visible, casting little light down onto the hills. Cleo could barely make out the dark shapes of the trees in the distance.

With the snow still falling and the chill in the air, it was unlikely any Murkrow would attempt to fly, but she didn't want to take any chances. She unfurled her ears and let out a sigh of relief as she managed it with barely a flinch. That shocking pain had subsided into nothing more than an annoying ache.

"You shouldn't be out here alone."

Cleo almost leapt from her skin. She span to face the speaker and clasped a paw to her chest. Mischief was stood holding the thin branches of the bush aside, his orange eyes reflecting what little light there was.

She shook her head and looked away. "You shouldn't be out here at all, it's freezing."

"I still have fur."

She heard the snow crunch, followed by a sharp intake of breath as he moved over to her. He stopped beside her and she cast him a glance. He hugged his arms around himself and stared aghast at the blanketed hills.

"Did... the world change while I was asleep?"

"No." She looked away from him and mimicked his posture, rubbing her paws over her arms. "It's just snow."

"Snow?" He dragged his right foot through the snow, revealing the grass beneath. "I guess this is what you meant by the cold season."

Cleo felt a small wave of relief run through her. It seemed he had no memory of her foolish mistake. She flopped to her bottom in the snow and a small shock ran through her body as the cold penetrated her fur. She stifled a small yelp of surprise.

He shuddered and rubbed at his arms. "Harlequin's right. I really haven't a clue."

She grimaced and huddled into herself. "I wouldn't let her get to you."

He looked down at her but said nothing. His orange eyes seemed to search her and she shrank further into herself, trying to drag her attention from his gaze by staring at the shadows of the trees on the horizon.

Finally he looked away. "Cleo... about that kiss..."

Cleo grit her teeth together and flinched. So he did remember.

"Sorry, Mischief. I don't really want to talk about it."

"Well I do. I don't understand."

"Neither do I..."

He paused. "I told you to run."

"I know. But I couldn't leave Spark."

"Couldn't you just grab her and run?"

"No. Things got... complicated." When he didn't respond, she glanced up at him briefly before looking back out at the horizon. "I also thought you were coming to your senses."

"So you risked your life?"

"I had no choice."

She felt his eyes on her again and she flinched at her own words. She really hadn't thought that through. No choice? He already thought he was a monster. It was her choice to run into danger...

He traced his eyes over her body. "Did I hurt you?"

Cleo ran her right paw up and down her left arm, rubbing at the fine scratches under her fur. "No."

He hugged himself and looked away from her. Her voice sounded hesitant, and he'd clearly picked up on it. But those scratches didn't even bother her. It wasn't exactly a lie.

"You were too reckless."

His voice was blunt. She looked up at him, but he stared off at the shadowy trees. It was difficult to make out his expression in the dark, but his tone said it all. He was annoyed with her.

"You shouldn't have confronted me," he went on.

"I had to, otherwise you would have turned on everyone else."

"It was foolishness."

"You weren't there."

"I was there, Cleo."

"No, you weren't. You don't remember it. You have no idea what was going on."

He ran a paw over his head and let out an exasperated sigh. "I remember enough to have a pretty good idea of what you did, Cleo. Risking your life to try to stop me was a ridiculous thing to do."

Cleo grit her teeth. "What was I supposed to do? You'd already knocked out two of my friends! Was I supposed to just leave them there?!"

No sooner had the words left her mouth, she regretted them. She stared up at him, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to think of some way to take it back. He stared back at her, his eyes widening as he let it all sink in. His paws fell to his side and he shrugged off Harlequin's bag, letting it drop into the snow.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I can't -"

He turned and walked away from her, moving past the large bush.

"Wait! Mischief!" Cleo rose to her feet and ran to catch up with him. "Where are you going?"

"It's too much of a risk for me to stay around you."

"But it's freezing." She took his paw and slowly moved back to the bush. "Come on, we'll go back inside."

"No." He snatched his paw from her and looked away. "I care about you too much to keep putting you and your friends in danger. It's safer for you if I just leave."

"But..." Cleo shook her head. "It's dangerous out there on your own. They're looking for you."

"Then... I'll hide..."

Cleo watched helplessly as he moved away from her, tears stinging her eyes. If he was really leaving, then what could she do to stop him?

She took a step forwards. "We're looking for a cure!"

He looked back at her, his arms hanging limply at his sides. "Is there one?"

Cleo faltered, fidgeting her paws together. "Harlequin thinks there might be a poison that can kill off the parasite."

"Then..." He looked away from her and sighed. "Then maybe I'll find it first."

He turned and walked away, leaving Cleo standing there, aghast. This couldn't be happening. He couldn't just leave them. Her chest felt tight. She took in a raspy breath and hugged herself as she blinked back tears from her eyes.

"But... I don't want you to leave..." Her voice came out weak, falling on deaf ears. She stood frozen to the spot, watching his form grow smaller and smaller as he moved out of sight.

 

[Delirious Absol]

The idea of Outcasts travelling with wagons was suggested to me on Serebii's forums by Negrek. Thanks again to them for their suggestion! =D

...

45 – Travelling Outcasts​

Spark stormed out of the bush, her little body sinking into the thick snow.

"Hey, Cleo! You didn't wake me!" She stopped next to her friend and looked up at her, her little nose twitching. "Cleo? Are you all right?"

Cleo sighed and looked away from the Dedenne. "Mischief left."

"What?" Spark sat down, the snow rising up to her chest. "He's... what? When?"

The bush rustled behind her and Faith and Harlequin's feet crunched over the snow. Harlequin's blue eyes flashed Cleo a look of concern before surveying their surroundings.

"He's really gone?" Faith looked over her shoulder at the white-capped mountains.

Cleo grunted a reply.

"Wow." Harlequin glanced back at her. "Talk about taking things badly."

Spark fixed the Zorua with a glare, electricity flowing from her whiskers and dancing over her orange fur.

Harlequin watched her for a moment then looked away. "Sorry. But if you said it, it would be funny."

"Sense the mood!" Spark turned back to Cleo and sighed. "What do we do now? Do we go looking for him?"

"No." Cleo pushed herself to her feet and gathered up the bag Mischief had dropped. Fresh snow fell from it, joining the white blanket over the grass. She tossed it to Harlequin. "I believe that's yours?"

"You're giving it back?" Spark gasped.

"Sure. Whatever." Cleo moved past the Zorua. "I want to put this place behind me. Let's go."

"Oh, Cleo..." Faith trotted to her side and fell in pace beside her. "It's freezing. Are you sure you don't want to look for him?"

Cleo shook her head. "He doesn't want us to."

"But-"

"Let's just... find this fire Pokemon. That's what we've been asked to do, right?"

Cleo looked from Faith to Spark.

Spark nodded and hopped up onto her shoulder. "Let's find that desert then, shall we?"

Cleo looked over at Harlequin. The Zorua was still sat by the bush watching them.

"Are you coming?"

Harlequin shook her head. "No."

Cleo narrowed her eyes. "No?"

"No. I'm going to look for Harbinger." She stood and trotted in the direction of the mountains.

"Wait, Harlequin." Faith caught up to her and cut her off. "We did say we'd help you find your friend."

"Yes." Harlequin nodded. "If our paths just happen to cross. If we split up, I can search for him and you can look for the fire Pokemon. We'll finish both tasks much faster."

Faith's paws fell to her side and she stared down at the Zorua. "You don't want to help us?"

"I do. And I am. If I return this mega stone to Harbinger, that's an extra ally who can use mega evolution."

"She has a point!" Faith looked round at Cleo. The Meowstic stared at her, her expression serious. "Just let her go."

Faith gave Harlequin one last glance and returned to Cleo's side. The Meowstic trudged over the snow, desperate to put as much distance between herself and that bush.

"Which way did Mischief go?" Harlequin called out.

"Why does it matter?"

"Because our paths might cross. If they do, I can help him find a poison to kill off that parasite."

Cleo faltered and flexed her paws at her side.

"It's not just for him either, it's for Enigma too. And all the other Pokemon that are suffering with it." Harlequin paused. The wind picked up, blowing through the leaves of the evergreen bush and rustling the bare branches of the trees. "That's why he left, isn't it? Not because of you. He's worried."

Cleo clenched her fists and gave a curt nod. Yes, Harlequin was right.

"He went towards the mountains," she said flatly.

A heavy silence washed over them and she could feel Harlequin's blue eyes examining her as she stood staring away into the blank, white distance.

"Don't blame yourself," the Zorua said. "I'll try to help any way I can. We'll defeat Hydreigon and destroy that parasite."

"Harlequin..."

Cleo looked back at her, but the Zorua had already sped on. Her small, black form skipped away over the snow towards the mountains.

Spark slumped down in Cleo's fur. "And then there were three."

Cleo looked away from Harlequin's retreating form. A thick lump had risen in her throat. Their numbers were dropping dramatically. She hadn't known either of them very long, but they'd gone through a lot together in a short amount of time. Without Mischief's springy Whimsicott gait beside her, or Harlequin plodding along behind her, things just didn't feel the same.

She pushed herself on, trudging through the thick snow with Faith at her side. The small group walked in silence, moving up and down the seemingly endless hills, the mountains rising up on their right.

The sun wasn't visible in the sky, but its bright light shone through the white clouds with an almost blinding intensity and reflecting off the white snow, causing them to shield their eyes whenever it leaked through the mountain peaks.

A light snow continued to fall, dotting their fur with intricate flakes that melted no sooner had they landed. The entire landscape was filled with a melancholy air as the wind howled through the bare trees and echoed over the mountain tops. Not a single Pokemon lay in sight. The hills were empty. Cleo felt incredibly small and insignificant amongst the white snow beds.

Cleo didn't want to look back, but desperate to know how far they'd come she ventured a glance. Two sets of paw prints trailed back up the gentle slopes of the hills, vanishing down the other side. The bush was no longer in sight, hidden behind the many white-coated hilltops.

Faith shivered and rubbed her paws over her arms. "Are there any towns nearby?"

Cleo shrugged. "I've never been this far out." She hugged herself as a gust of wind blew over them and felt a small shudder on her shoulder. "We can take the next shelter we find and call it a night."

"I know the cold season has only just started," said Spark, "but I already can't wait for it to be over."

Faith laughed. "To be honest, I feel the same. It's much nicer when you're indoors, safe from the cold."

They pressed on, pushing themselves up the slope of a large hill. As they reached the top, Faith looked back. She let out a small gasp and pointed.

"What's that?"

Cleo followed her paw. Moving down the slope towards them was a long trail of wagons visible through the falling snow. They appeared to be being pulled along by Pokemon, leaving long rivets in the snow behind them.

"It looks like a group of travelling Pokemon," said Cleo.

"Do you think they're friendly?" Spark asked.

Cleo shrugged. "I've no idea. But in this day and age, I'm apprehensive to find out. We'd be severely outnumbered."

"I doubt they're dark Pokemon," said Faith. She narrowed her eyes to squint through the snow. "Why would they be dragging wagons?"

"They could easily be Heretics."

Spark snorted. "I can't be bothered messing with more Heretics. Shall we hide somewhere until they pass?"

The wagons were now making their way up the hill towards them. Whether or not they'd spotted them, Cleo didn't know. She made to turn away and bolt down the hillside but something stopped her. She let out a gasp as the image on the side of one of the wagons flashed into view as it veered to the side to avoid a large rock.

A sun.

"They're Outcasts!"

"Friends?" Faith smiled.

"Possibly, but I've never heard of them trailing wagons."

Cleo scurried over the snow to meet the travelling Pokemon. She almost stumbled down the slope, startling the group to a halt.

A handful of Outcasts leapt from the carts to brace themselves for an attack but Cleo raised her paws and moved towards them slowly. As she approached the lead cart, the Tauros pulling it flashed his horns at her.

"Don't worry." She held out the badge on her bag strap. "I'm a Guild member."

"Well I'll be!" An old Kecleon that had been leading the group grinned widely. "A psychic Pokemon!" He chuckled and leaned forward on his walking cane. "I thought you were all dead!"

Cleo shook her head. "Not all of us." She looked up at the wagons. Some of the Pokemon were climbing back on board. "What is this?"

"This is called survival," the Kecleon spoke bluntly. "We move on from point to point trying to escape detection from the Darkness. Stationary towns are too much of a risk these days, so we travel, taking our homes with us."

"With the events we've experienced lately, that makes a lot of sense."

Cleo looked at the trail of wagons. They were all piled high with supplies hidden away under thick, grey sheets that were dotted with lumps of snow. The travelling did indeed make a lot of sense, but what struck her more was why she'd never heard of these Outcasts. If they moved constantly, they had no Guild HQ. That meant they were out of the loop. Whatever Guild warriors were with them, they weren't in contact with the main body any more.

That meant they also must have never heard of New City.

"Your staring is making me nervous." The Tauros lowered his head and swung his horns at Cleo, causing her to leap back. "Get out of the way so we can move."

"Now, now, Rido." The Kecleon waved his cane at him. "You be nice." He turned back to Cleo. "Sorry about that. So you yourselves are Outcasts?" He looked from Cleo to Faith.

Faith shook her head. "Oh no, I'm not. I'm just helping Cleo. I'm from the Fairy Garden."

The Kecleon raised his eyebrows. "Fairy Garden? I have to say I've never heard of that in all my years!"

"That's because she's lying!" roared the Tauros.

"Come off it!" The Kecleon rapped Rido on the ribs. "We'll be moving on soon enough, have some patience!"

Rido looked away and snorted and flicked his three tails, his breath creating two puffs of steam in the cold air.

Faith's violet eyes misted over with sadness. "To be honest, a few days ago your response would surprise me, but... I'm actually getting used to Pokemon saying they've never heard of the Fairy Garden."

"Well!" The Kecleon grinned. "Hop on board and tell us all about it! I'm sure your tales would raise the spirits of some of the children on board. And adults too!"

"Really?" Faith clapped her paws together. "That would be wonderful! Thank you!"

"Come on, you two. Climb on!" The Kecleon stood aside to let them pass.

"Hey, grandpa." A Rampardos appeared on Rido's other side and stared down at the Kecleon. "There's three of 'em!"

"Oh?" The Kecleon stared at Cleo and Faith for a moment, looking from one to the other.

"He's right," Rido grunted. "On the Meowstic's shoulder."

"Hello!" Spark waved frantically.

"Oh!" The Kecleon's eyes finally found the Dedenne. "Oh my! Well, aren't you tiny!"

"Hey!"

Spark's whiskers crackled with electricity and the Kecleon laughed.

"Oh, I wouldn't fret, my dear! The best things come in small packages. Why, I myself am almost a foot smaller than I should be!"

Spark crossed her paws. "I like to think I'm useful!"

The Kecleon laughed and Faith chuckled.

"You are, Spark," said Faith. She turned back to the Kecleon. "I'm Faith. And these two are Cleo and Spark. What can we call you?"

"Call me Old Red." The Kecleon grinned.

"But... you're green," said Spark.

He laughed again. "When I hatched, I was red! But as you can see, that changed with time."

Rido pawed the snow violently and snorted. "Hurry up! We've been stood around long enough!"

"Go on." Old Red nudged Faith towards the wagon. "Take a seat."

Faith paused at the steps and looked back at the Kecleon. "Do you need a hand back on board?"

"Oh no! I like to walk at the head. Extra pair of eyes."

Faith's eyes widened. "I won't allow it! You must need to rest, surely?"

Old Red laughed again. "I thank you for your concern, but really, I'm -"

"Oi! Grandpa!" The Rampardos looked down at him again. "Get on board!" He grinned. "I'll walk next to Rido and be your extra pair of eyes for a while."

Old Red flashed the Rampardos a smile. "Okay, Stompy. I can take a hint."

He moved over to the wagon and Faith stepped aside. At the sight of the old Kecleon trying to scramble onto the stairs with his cane, Cleo reached out a paw and placed it on his shoulder.

"Allow me."

The little Kecleon found himself engulfed in purple light. He let out a yell of surprise as Cleo lifted him from the ground and onto the wagon. Once set in place, he looked Cleo up and down and gave her a warm smile.

"Well, isn't that a handy talent?"

Cleo scrambled up beside him, followed closely by Faith.

Spark tutted. "I'd much rather she didn't do it while I was on her shoulder, if I'm honest!"

"Right, we're moving!" Rido roared. "Brace yourselves!"

The wagon swayed as the Tauros began to move, dragging them the rest of the way up the hillside. Cleo took the opportunity to look around at the rest of the Outcasts on board. On their wagon were two Snivy children without a mother in sight, a Lopunny and a Heatmor. The wagon next to them had a Skiddo peering over the side at them and a Sawk. The wagons behind them were being pulled along by various Pokemon including a Gogoat who seemed unfazed by the snow and two Rapidash.

"I don't much care for the cold season," Old Red told them. "But it does make travelling a little safer, I think."

Cleo sat back and turned to face him. His face was warm and friendly and slightly wrinkled with age, especially around the eyes which creased when he smiled at them.

"I suppose because the Murkrow won't fly?" she asked.

Old Red nodded. "That and dragon type Pokemon also don't like the snow. The only ones that brave it are those it doesn't bother."

Cleo felt a chill run through her body. "Fire types..."

"And ice types." Old Red looked over at the passing scenery. "But it does reduce the threat somewhat."

Cleo barely registered what he said. Her mind was still fixed on the threat of the Wildfires. She glanced around at the wagon's occupants again. One of the fire Pokemon amongst them may well be the one they were looking for. She briefly caught the Heatmor's eye and looked away, trying to catch Faith's attention.

"So, my dear girl." Old Red leant forward, his paws clasped over his knees. "Do tell me about this place you call the Fairy Garden?"

 

[Delirious Absol]

46 – A Mountain Scramble​

The wind tore through the mountains, howling and whipping up small blizzards as the snow fell intermittently, snatched up before it hit the ground and clinging to Harlequin's fur as he skipped over the rocky terrain.

The ground was steep, and snow covered the outcrops, clearly marking the flatter areas. Being fresh and untrodden, the snow wasn't covering a death-trap of ice. It didn't slow him down, paws landing in the soft surface and reaching for the next stable footing in a steady rhythm. The end to the slope was in sight. In a few more bounds, the mountain would level out, giving him a nice flat strip to walk along.

The odd stiff plant stuck out from the snow, and Harlequin dived over one to reach the solid platform it protruded from. Another kick and he was finally level, pausing to catch his breath as he looked around. Left was his chosen direction, keeping in pattern with keeping the Glen behind him. He lowered his head and pulled his ears back as another cold, snow-filled wind blew over him and died down, the air clearing enough for him to squint into.

He shot along the path like a bullet, occasionally glancing up at the solid rocks on his right. The mountain went higher, but that part was more difficult to scale. The land beneath him was still formed of rolling hills, now barely visible against the snowy background. From this height they almost resembled clouds.

After a few yards the path began to narrow and Harlequin was left with no choice but to scale the steep rocks. Here it was easier. It looked like a path had been formed many years ago by the mountain's inhabitants and the surface was dotted with thick, flat rocks that served as make-shift steps. It was impossible to see the state of them through the thick snow and Harlequin's paw slipped on one, his breath catching in his throat. He steadied himself and watched as the chosen rock slipped free, sliding until it landed two steps below. He shook his head sharply to gather himself and continued his climb, making an effort to be more cautious. Again the ground levelled out, revealing the mountain's peak.

The opposite side led down into a massive forest, the trees rising from the surface of the mountain until they joined the rest of the forest far below. The treetops were white but lower branches were filled with thick, green needle-like leaves.

Harlequin had no interest in going back down. He paused and looked around, his ears pricked. He steadied his breath and squinted into the horizon. Whatever he was looking for, it wasn't here.

He sped on, staying as central to the narrow path as he could. When his lungs were fit for bursting he came to a stop at a large, rocky outcrop. He stepped cautiously onto it, his breath coming in heavy bursts and misting in the cold air.

The ground below revealed yet more hills but cutting across it was a river, winding through the lumpy terrain and vanishing off into the horizon where it met the ocean. The Zorua stared out at it in silent fascination. The snow beneath his paws began to flow over the edge, trickling over the steep mountainside.

With a sound like crumbling soil, the ground gave way and Harlequin let out a yell as he plummeted to the ground below.

Claws grabbed his ruff and his body jerked to a stop. He looked up, fixing his blue eyes onto Enigma's crimson ones.

"Enigma!" the Zorua gasped out.

The Banette's look of concern melted into a relieved smile.

"I don't think you're quite cut out for mountain travel." Enigma perched on a stiff branch that jutted out of the rock. His right paw steadied him against the wall and he eyed the dangling Zorua for a moment while he assessed the situation. "I'm going to pull you up. If you grab this branch, we'll take it from there."

He waited for Harlequin to give a small nod before dragging him up with one paw. The branch seemed sturdy enough. He dug his claws into the wall, the sharp rocks cutting through his fur. Harlequin wasn't especially heavy, but it was no easy task in his current situation.

When the bough was in reach, the Zorua stretched out a paw and grabbed on. It wasn't until Harlequin had all four limbs secured on the branch that Enigma finally ventured to release his ruff. The Zorua sat with his eyes screwed shut, panting heavily, his entire body trembling from the shock. Enigma pressed his back up against the cold stone surface and let his paw rest on his knee, not taking his eyes off the shaken Pokemon.

"Okay." Enigma took a breath and glanced up at the wall behind him. It wasn't too high to solid ground, but he couldn't reach Harlequin from up there. "Do you think you can climb back up?"

Harlequin opened his eyes slowly and stared open-mouthed at the steep slope. Enigma could imagine that from his perspective, such a feat seemed virtually impossible right now.

"Listen, Harle. You can't stay on this branch. I don't know how long it will hold you for."

Harlequin nodded his understanding and took a deep, steadying breath. "Okay. I'll try."

Enigma flashed him a smile and warped himself up onto the platform above. He peered back down at Harlequin. The Zorua was slowly working his way across the narrow branch, placing one paw in front of the other and trying his best not to look down.

"There are some foot holds!" Enigma's voice strained over the sudden gust of wind that whipped across his face. "Stick to them!"

Harlequin seemed to have heard him. His paws found the rocks that jutted out from the steep surface and he slowly scrambled his way back up.

The wind picked up with a merciless intensity, whipping at the two Pokemon with large, cold frozen flakes. The snow dotted Harlequin's dark fur and clung to his face. He blinked the snow from his lashes and his climbing became more frantic as he desperately tried to reach flat ground.

Enigma crouched down, reaching a paw down to the frightened Pokemon. This encouraged the Zorua. Finding each stable rock, he managed to come within arm's reach. Enigma grabbed his paw and hoisted him the rest of the way up.

Harlequin fell onto the snow and gasped, his breath forming thick clouds of vapour in the air. He rolled onto his side and looked back at the outcrop's edge.

"Thank you," he gasped out. He closed his eyes and his rib cage rose and fell as he desperately tried to catch his breath.

Enigma chuckled and ran a paw over his face, sinking to the floor. "You seem to be getting yourself into all kinds of scrapes recently."

Harlequin's body shook as he gave a small laugh.

Enigma fell to his haunches and leant back on his paws, letting out a huge sigh of relief. He tried to remember the last time his heart raced so much. Harlequin's life had practically flashed before his eyes. He looked back down at the Zorua. His blue eyes were now open, fixed on a blank spot somewhere back on the mountain path.

"What were you looking for?" Enigma asked.

Harlequin took a few more breaths before pushing himself up until he was sitting. "I'm looking for Harbinger."

"Harbinger?" Enigma frowned. "You mean that Absol? The one you thought was dead?"

"Yes. Xerneas told me he's alive, and to return his mega stone to him." Harlequin pawed at the stone hanging beneath the new scarf he was wearing.

"Mega stone?" Enigma stared at the strange orb.

"Yes. It's his... wait." Harlequin stared at him, his blue eyes wide. "Thought was dead? What do you mean by that? Did you know he's alive?" His voice grew more frantic and he took a step towards Enigma.

"Calm down, Harle." Enigma raised a paw. "I only found out recently myself. I've not been keeping anything from you."

Harlequin sat down again and his eyes alone commanded Enigma to tell him more.

"I saw him two nights ago when it rained," Enigma explained. "It didn't take a genius to piece the parts together."

"Where?"

"Back by that little Outcast town near the Glen." The Banette nodded back down the mountain.

"Did you speak to him?"

"Speak to him?! He had murder in his eyes!"

Harlequin shook his head, a look of bewilderment on his face. If he was going to deny it and defend the Absol, he didn't. It must be obvious even to him that someone with Enigma's reputation would be wanted dead by the outlaws.

It was common knowledge. The outlaws hated the Darkness as much as the Outcasts did. Pokemon from the Shadow Lands weren't exactly going to be welcomed with open arms by either party.

"I think we should get off this rock." Enigma glanced at the edge of the outcrop and rose to his feet. "I'd feel a bit safer on lower land, if I'm honest."

"Then why are you even in the mountains?" Harlequin looked up at him as they moved back onto the mountain path.

Enigma crossed his paws behind his head. "I was trailing you."

Harlequin snorted. "That should have been obvious. You're lonely."

Enigma closed his eyes and chuckled. He couldn't deny he'd missed this. He fixed one eye on the Zorua and grinned.

"No. I'm just bored."

...​

Harbinger sat amongst the shade of the evergreen trees. The winter sun was venturing to poke its rays through the white clouds and the light reflected off the surface of the snow with a blinding intensity.

A river cut through the landscape, its icy surface shimmering in the dazzling light. The gurgling sound cut through the silence with an air of tranquillity.

Harbinger's eyes followed the watery trail, noting that it vanished round a bend, feeding a nearby Outcast village that decided to make its home in the mountain valley. Not a bad choice. Sure, dark Pokemon patrolled everywhere, but a valley wasn't on flat land. It could easily hide a little village, and the Pokemon inside it would have enough sentry points high up to alert the rest of the village to surprise attacks. The village wasn't small, but like every other Outcast town it had a building for the Guild.

The land leading up to the village was a former habitat for Pokemon before the Darkness took over. Little caves, nests amongst the trees, burrows along the river bank... it had them all. And each and every one was empty. Save for a spot a mile upstream. It was rumoured that a poison Pokemon lived in the vicinity. One that had clearly refused to abandon his home, preferring to live alone.

He looked back at Scratch and Claw. The two Pawniard were examining the trunk of one of the trees, scraping at a sticky substance Harbinger had found too hazardous to get on his paws.

"Is it what I think it is?" he asked them.

"Hmm." Scratch turned his blade in the light, his large eyes focused on the residue that clung to the steel surface. "Yes. It's poison."

"What kind of poison?"

"Hard to say." The Pawniard wiped it off in the snow, leaving behind a pinkish hue. "But given the rumours I'd say your suspicions are correct."

"Perfect. It shouldn't be too hard to track." Harbinger's lips turned up into a half smile and he looked back up at the mountains. "I've waited too long for this."

 

[Delirious Absol]

47 – Fire Island​

The little wagons rattled to a stop, letting the various Pokemon climb down onto the soft snow. Cleo followed the Heatmor down off the wagon and joined the other Pokemon who were rushing to put up tents.

"How are you managing this?" she asked Old Red. "There are no suitable trees to hold up the sheets."

"Oh, we don't need trees!" Old Red leant on his walking cane and smiled at her. "Watch and learn, my dear girl."

Cleo turned to watch the group of Pokemon as they threaded long, slender sticks of wood through loops in the light green sheets, each one going from corner to corner. These sticks were stuck in the ground, holding the fabric up so it looked like a tiny hill. A single split ran up the sheet, not quite reaching the top of the arc, providing an entrance.

"Wow." Spark stood open-mouthed. "How come we never thought of that?"

Old Red chuckled. "It's a simple but effective way of building a tent."

"Is there any way we can help?" Cleo asked him.

Old Red shook his head. "All the duties are covered. You just relax."

"Nonsense. We need to repay your kindness somehow." Cleo reached into her bag but the old Kecleon's wrinkled paw stopped her.

"It's okay." He grinned. "You don't owe us anything. Just stay, relax. It's a blessing to have warriors stay with us, especially ones from the Fairy Garden." He turned his grin on Faith and the Mawile beamed.

"It's a blessing to be staying with such warm and welcoming Pokemon like yourself!" she said.

Old Red chuckled. "Why thank you, Faith. Why don't all of you take a seat?"

The travelling Outcasts were huddling together around the little tents. The two Rapidash had spaced themselves out to offer their heat as much as they could.

"Don't get too close," the Gogoat instructed the little Skiddo, "perchance your leaves get burned off."

The Rapidash duo laughed and shook their fiery manes, but the Skiddo fixed them both with a pair of frightened eyes, deciding instead to sleep beside his mother.

"Our flames won't burn you," the younger Rapidash told him. "We have more control over them than you'd think."

"Oh good!" Spark approached the speaker, a berry in her paws. "Can I sit on you then?"

The Rapidash laughed and shook her head, nodding to a spot by her hoof.

Cleo and Faith joined the Dedenne, finding a spot of green grass amongst the snow. The fire Pokemon's bodies had melted it away, providing a warmer surface for their friends. Many curious eyes remained fixed on the small group as they tucked into their meals, holding within them many unasked questions.

"This seems a little strange," Spark whispered to Cleo. "I mean... what do we do? Entertain them?"

"This evening is a splendid one!" Old Red's voice cut through them, drawing all attention to himself. "We have a small travelling party with us today, as I am sure you are all clearly aware. And wow, do they have some stories to tell us!"

"We already heard a few," said the Heatmor, a tongue of flames flicking from his mouth.

"Yes, but those in other wagons did not." Old Red flashed him a smile.

"Well, I'd request something new then." The Heatmor crossed his arms behind his head and leant back against a rock. "Then you can tell the other ones later?"

"That's a good idea!" Old Red turned to look at the small group. "Have you any other stories? Like... what brings you all this way?"

"Oh that." Spark took a huge bite out of her berry. "We're looking for a fire Pokemon."

"A fire Pokemon?" Old Red looked around at his group of travelling Outcasts and the Rapidash next to Cleo shifted uncomfortably. "We have a few amongst us, don't we?"

"Oh it can't just be any," said Faith. "You see, Xerneas has sent us to look for a fire Pokemon that can take out the Wildfires."

Gasps and other exclamations shot through the Outcasts and a few of the Pokemon began talking loudly amongst themselves. A couple even ventured towards the tents.

"Oh don't be like that!" Old Red clapped his paws together, the sharp noise bringing the group to rest. "They're not asking us to fight the Wildfires. Are you?" He turned his eyes onto Faith.

"Oh no, not at all." Faith shook her head. "We've been told we'll know the Pokemon when we find them."

"A likely story!" Rido, who had been silent for quite some time, snorted with disgust. "I told you not to blindly trust others, gramps. Now these Pokemon want us to fight their battles!"

"We don't!" Cleo snapped.

The Tauros leered at her and lowered his head onto his hooves.

"We're looking for one fire Pokemon," she explained. "One. And we'll know him when we find him."

"Amongst snow?" The Heatmor stared at her. "You're fortunate enough to find three. What are you searching here for?"

"We're heading to the desert," said Faith. "But... it's a long way off."

"I was about to say!" Old Red laughed. "That's quite a walk!"

"You don't want the desert," said the Heatmor. "That's full of ground types. You want Fire Island."

Spark swallowed her mouthful. "Fire Island?"

The Heatmor grunted and closed his eyes. "Yeah. My father's grandfather is from Fire Island. It's a land filled with fire warriors lead by a Pokemon called Tyrix."

"Your father's grandfather?" Spark crinkled her nose. "How old is this Tyrix going to be?"

"He's probably passed the torch by now," the Heatmor explained. "If I were looking for a fire Pokemon, I'd try Fire Island first."

The two Rapidash nodded, their manes flickering in the darkness.

Spark looked up at Cleo. "Isn't that the place Mulch told us about?"

"Yes." Cleo pulled out her map and stared at it, searching the outer borders of the region. There were three smaller islands in the sea, one of which was made of ice. The smallest one had the words 'wasteland' scrawled across it. She knew that wouldn't be the place, that was Skipper's former home. "I'd never heard of the place before. It's not marked on my map."

"That's no surprise," said Old Red. "Their legend has gone to dust over the years."

Cleo felt her heart sink and she looked up at him. "Gone to dust?"

"Yes." The old Kecleon's voice had a melancholy note to it and he fumbled with the top of his cane. "The fire warriors were quite the force many moons ago. Before either of you were born! But after a while, news from their parts just faded away. Rumour has it they decided to keep themselves to themselves."

"As for others," said the Heatmor, "they migrated to the main land."

"Like your father's grandfather," said Faith.

The Heatmor nodded. "Exactly."

Cleo looked down at her map again. If that lone, unnamed island was the one they were aiming for, it was even more of a trek than the desert. If the rumours were true, then they might not receive the warmest of welcomes from the fire Pokemon.

...​

Cleo emerged from her tent and stretched. The sky was empty of snow, and the sun stretched its rays down through the clouds, oddly warm in the bitter cold air. The light reflected off the snow-covered ground with a dazzling intensity and she shielded her eyes, blinking until they adjusted from the dark of sleep.

"Oh, wow." Spark's voice rose up from near Cleo's feet and the Dedenne rubbed her eyes. "It's enough to give one snow blindness."

"Good morning!" Old Red caught Cleo's eye, waving at them from beside a Rapidash and the Heatmor. "Glad to see you're up! Come and join us for some breakfast."

"Ooh!" Spark hopped from foot to foot. "You don't have to ask me twice!" She scurried over to them and huddled up beside the Rapidash.

Cleo felt someone take her paw and she looked round at Faith's smiling face.

"I don't know about you but I'm starving!"

Cleo returned the Mawile's smile and followed her to the little gathering of Outcasts. A lot of the Pokemon seemed to still be asleep, so there were only a handful of them. When they reached Old Red, they spotted Rido lurking beside one of the tents, tucking in to a pile of berries and hay.

"Here, let me clear you a seat," said the Heatmor. A long tongue of fire flicked out of his mouth and melted the snow away beside him.

"Thank you!" Faith clapped her paws.

The Heatmor blushed and waved a paw at her.

Cleo flopped down beside Faith and did a double take as something a few yards away caught her eye.

"Wow, there must have been a wind last night," she said. "The snow's piled up over there."

The other Pokemon followed her gaze to a mound of white almost hidden against the hill behind it.

Faith's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "Cleo, that's not snow!"

The Mawile leapt to her feet, abandoning her meal as she rushed over to inspect the mound. Cleo stood up and watched her briefly before rushing to join her. When she reached the Mawile, Old Red and the Heatmor stopped beside her.

What at first glance had seemed like a snowdrift was in fact a body covered in white fur and feathers. A large mammalian head rested upon two claws attached to heavily feathered forelegs. The massive body rose and fell steadily as the large Pokemon remained in a deep sleep. Clouds of steam left his nostrils with each deep breath.

"Reshiram?" Cleo gasped.

"Yes..." Faith scratched her head. "What's he doing way out here?"

The Heatmor pointed and stared aghast at Cleo and Faith. "You know this dragon?"

"He's from the Fairy Garden," Faith explained. "He's a friend. What I don't understand is why he's voluntarily sleeping in the freezing cold!"

"Then we should ask him!" said Old Red. He raised his walking cane and poked Reshiram square in the nose. "Hey, old boy! Rise and shine!"

The Heatmor swatted at Old Red's paw. "Don't do that! What if he attacks us?"

"He'd never do that!" Faith gasped. "Trust me, he's a friend!" She crouched down beside the feathered dragon and placed a paw on his shoulder. "Reshiram! Are you all right?"

The large dragon crinkled his nose and sniffed a couple of times. His blue eyes flickered open and fixed on Faith, then he closed them again and opened his massive mouth in a yawn, startling the Heatmor to hide behind the old Kecleon. Reshiram licked his lips and pushed himself up with his wing claws.

"Well well!" he boomed. "You're awake!"

"And so are you!" Old Red called up to him. "Faith here assures us you're a friend?"

Reshiram laughed and looked down at the Mawile. "Of course I'm a friend! I hope you don't mind me crashing your camp like this? When I arrived, you were all asleep and I hadn't the heart to wake you."

"Not at all! Any friend of theirs is a friend of ours!" Old Red waved from Cleo to the camp site. "Besides, with you sleeping out here none of the Darkness' assassins would have been any threat to us! For that, I'm grateful!"

Reshiram laughed. "You're welcome, friend. Now, I-" He looked over Old Red's shoulder and his surprised expression caused Cleo to follow his gaze. The rest of the Outcasts were now awake, huddled together and watching the white dragon with looks of fear and uncertainty.

"Oh!" Old Red laughed. "Don't mind that lot. I'm sure they'll relax when they see you're no threat, old boy!"

"I'll take your word for it," said Reshiram. "I'm not used to this reaction. I don't usually leave the Fairy Garden, you see."

"That's my point!" said Faith. "What on earth are you doing here?"

Reshiram turned his blue eyes onto Faith and Cleo. "I'm here to help you."

"Help us?" Spark poked her head out of Cleo's fur. The Meowstic was a little taken aback as she'd not even noticed the Dedenne return to her shoulder. "Help us with what?"

"To reach your next destination, of course!" Reshiram laughed. He spread his massive wings. "I thought you'd appreciate a lift?"

"A lift?" Spark's large eyes widened. "We're flying?"

Reshiram grinned. "Faster and warmer!" His tail flared up with an orange light, melting the snow behind him, then slowly returned to its former white colour.

"Ooh!" Spark grinned. "Toasty!"

Old Red smiled warmly at the dragon. "If you'd like to join us for a little breakfast before you leave, I would be honoured to have you with us?"

Reshiram returned his smile. "And I'd be honoured to dine with you. That is... if you really don't mind? I mean... I am larger than all of you."

Old Red laughed. "Your size isn't a problem, I assure you."

The old Kecleon led them back to the camp site and Reshiram walked slowly behind them.

The other Outcasts moved backwards nervously and many of them retreated back into their tents. Old Red tapped his cane on a large rock and spoke loudly.

"Come on, all of you. Reshiram is a friend, he's not going to harm any of us."

Several heads poked out of their tents and eyed the large dragon.

"Really?" a Rapidash asked.

Rido snorted and pawed the snow. "A likely story! He's a dragon!"

"A friendly dragon," said Faith. "From the Fairy Garden."

Rido snorted and large puffs of steam rose into the air. "Then why didn't you mention him in any of your stories?"

Faith shook her head and stared aghast at the Tauros.

Reshiram placed a claw on her head and looked down at the other Pokemon. "The answer is simple. The stories aren't about me."

Rido snorted again and lay down, returning to his breakfast of hay and berries.

"So, old boy!" Old Red sat down and tapped the ground next to him. "How did you happen upon the Fairy Garden?"

Reshiram sat down carefully and took the oran berry the Kecleon offered to him.

"I was in search of truth," he explained. "When I found the Fairy Garden, it was overwhelming how welcoming everyone was. I have to admit, I was a little frightened. But I settled in there and now I help to train Xerneas' warriors to battle in the war against Darkness." He smiled at Cleo and Spark. "These two had some training fairly recently! How are you getting on?"

"It's been helpful," said Cleo. "We recently fell under attack twice from the Murkrow. Ordinarily I wouldn't be able to do anything, but now..."

Reshiram grinned at her. "Now you don't have to fear the type advantage."

"Hey mum! Mum, look!" The little Skiddo stood up to his neck in snow. "I can fit in one of his paw prints!"

"Yes!" the Gogoat exclaimed. "He has very large feet!"

Reshiram laughed at the Skiddo's look of surprise. "I am also very careful with my very large feet."

The Skiddo grinned and skipped around in circles.

The other Outcasts gathered around them, much more relaxed after hearing Reshiram's story. They enjoyed breakfast in each other's company and soon it was time to take down the tents and pack up the carts.

Cleo, Faith and Spark helped to load their supplies back onto the wagons and Reshiram assisted the fire Pokemon in melting away the snow that had piled up around the wheels. Once the Outcasts were ready to go, Old Red turned to address Cleo.

"When you next see your Guild leader, I want you to tell him an old Kecleon is very impressed with the work they do." He gave them a warm smile. "I want to give you this for your kindness and company."

Cleo took the small package from Old Red and opened it. Inside was a tent complete with collapsible poles.

"Are you sure?" she asked him.

"Positive!" he laughed. "That old sheet you have has its limits, but with that you can set it up anywhere. I know you'll put it to good use."

"Thank you." Cleo gave him a smile. "You're very kind. All of you have been such great company."

"Yaw!" Spark sniffled and wiped her eyes. "I don't like goodbyes."

"This isn't a goodbye," said Old Red. "We're going to try and find that Fairy Garden we've heard so much about!"

"Really?" Faith clapped her paws together and moved over to him. "Oh that's great!"

"Endless Woods, am I right?" Old Red chuckled. "Hopefully we won't get too lost in there."

"You'll be fine," said Faith. "Just ignore the enchantment. Whatever it tells you. Anyone seeking solitude can find the Fairy Garden." She took Old Red's wrinkled paw and gave it a soft squeeze. "We'll see you again."

"You certainly shall!" He gave them a wave and rejoined the Outcasts. Climbing on to a wagon, he called out to the Pokemon steering them. "Today, we back track. Make haste for Endless Woods!"

The wagons turned around and moved back down the hills, away from Cleo and her friends.

"I like that old Kecleon." Reshiram chuckled. "I look forward to seeing him again."

Cleo nodded. "Me too."

The white dragon looked down at her and inclined his head on one side. "Weren't there five of you? Where are Mischief and Harlequin?"

Cleo felt her body lock up and she glanced away from Reshiram. Words failed her and she ran a paw over her eyes, turning her back on the dragon.

"Oh dear," said Reshiram. "Did something happen?"

"Erm." Spark shifted in Cleo's fur and turned to face him. "Mischief... ran away. As for Harlequin, she's gone to look for that Absol to return his mega stone."

"Oh." Reshiram was silent for a moment as he took this in. "Do you want to take a detour to find Mischief?"

"He doesn't want us to look for him." Cleo took a steadying breath and turned back to him. "He's gone to look for a cure for his illness. For now, let's just go to Fire Island."

Reshiram stared at her for a moment then gave a firm nod. "Okay. Climb on."

He lowered his torso to the ground, his fore-claws digging into the soft snow. Faith scrambled up onto his back and offered a paw to Cleo. The Meowstic sat behind her with Spark huddling into her neck fur.

Reshiram turned his head to look back at them and flashed them a sideways grin. "Hold on! It might take us a day or two to get there."

He rose up and flapped his wings, rising steadily into the air. His tail erupted behind him and he shot through the sky, the velocity pushing them backwards in their seats. Cleo gripped tightly to Faith and the Mawile gave her a warm smile.

"I guess you've never done this before!" she called out over the wind.

"No!"

Faith laughed. "Me neither!" She gripped the feathers around the dragon's neck firmly and peered out at the world below."It's magnificent!"

The trees looked tiny beneath them, and the river seemed to be nothing more than a silvery thread across the white landscape. The stony mountains rose up from amongst it, the green of the trees poking up from the mottled surface. Cleo's breath was taken away by the beauty of it all.

As Reshiram rose further into the air, the world grew smaller and smaller beneath them until their heads almost touched the clouds. His wings levelled out and the wind whipped past their ears as he glided effortlessly through the air, leaving the snowy hills behind him.

 

[Delirious Absol]

48 – Toxic Nightmare​

Frost clung to Yurlik's black feathers, biting through to his flesh with the cold intensity of a Sneasel's claws. The Murkrow flock lagged behind him, their numbers dropping as the birds dropped from the sky with exhaustion and frost bite.

The castle was now in sight, dark against the red of the sunset, renewing the Honchkrow's vigour to reach it. With a final burst of strength, he shot forwards through the sky and brought his wings to a halt as a cold gust of wind shocked his body. With a crash, he struck the floor. The gathered Deino were roused into an uproar and they stampeded away from the large Honchkrow, crashing into other Pokemon, rocks, trees and buildings as they fled across the Shadow Lands.

Yurlik dragged himself to his feet and fixed his red eyes on the castle door. With his failing strength it seemed miles away. He clicked his beak in frustration and slumped over to it, climbing the immense flight of stairs. Once he reached the top, he struck the door with his beak.

As it opened, the face of a Scrafty leered out at him.

"Oh it's you." The Scrafty snorted and threw the door open. He scanned his eyes up and down the bird's bedraggled body. "I doubt he's going to be very impressed to see you."

Yurlik shoved the Scrafty aside with his wing, the chill causing the fighting Pokemon to let out a shrill yell.

"What did you do? Fly through a blizzard?" The Scrafty beat his arm down to remove the residual frost from his fur.

"One might think." Yurlik's voice came out fierce despite his weak condition.

His claws left a wet trail as he strutted over the tile floor. Once he reached the throne room, he narrowed his eyes at the Scrafty and folded his wings firmly to his side.

The Scrafty muttered something under his breath and threw the doors open.

"Yurlik's back!" he barked into the room.

A deep rumble shook both Pokemon and the Scrafty took two steps back, giving the Honchkrow a warning glance.

"All yours, pal!" He smacked Yurlik on the shoulder and marched back towards the main door.

Yurlik strode cautiously into the room and gave the large shadow a small glance before clearing his throat.

"I... come with some bad news, my lord."

"Bad news?" Hydreigon growled, causing Yurlik to take a step back. "I don't want bad news, Yurlik!"

"Well... unfortunately that's the case." Yurlik shifted his weight on his talons and glanced back at the door. It was still open. He had time to back out if need be. "It concerns Harlequin and Enigma."

"What about them? Are they dead too?"

"No... not dead." Yurlik paused as he racked his brain for some way to break this news that might only cost him a couple of tail feathers. Despite how much he'd thought this over during his flight back, he couldn't think up any way to word it that made it sound remotely better than it actually was. "They have both... left us, my lord."

"Left us?" Hydreigon raised his large head and fixed Yurlik with an intimidating leer. "What do you mean 'left us'?!"

Yurlik gulped. "It's... exactly as it sounds, my lord. They've gone. They aren't coming back."

"What you mean to say," Hydreigon's voice came out so calmly it sent a chill through Yurlik's bones, "is that they've become... rebels?"

"P... precisely, my lord."

"Outlaws?"

"Well... Harlequin has joined the Outcasts. As for Enigma-"

"The Outcasts?!" Yurlik was blown back slightly from the dragon's voice. "The ones he was sent to kill?!"

"Y-yes."

"And what of Enigma? Has he joined them too?"

"All I know is he's not coming back, my lord."

Hydreigon rubbed his left head beneath his chin. "So that is what? Four of my aces. Gone."

Yurlik shuffled his feet on the floor. "I'm sorry, my lord."

The dragon laughed.

Yurlik took a step back towards the door, keeping one eye on the massive Pokemon.

"Fine! Send them out!"

"You... want me to send them?" Yurlik clicked his beak nervously, glancing left and right. "You no longer want them alive?"

"No." Hydreigon leant his head on one limb. "I'm bored of this now. Send out the Wildfires."

Yurlik nodded and muttered his reply, slinking from the room. The door barely made a noise as he closed it behind him. He turned and almost walked smack into the Scrafty.

"Wildfires eh?" He snorted laughter and leant back against the wall. "Careful they don't roast you first!"

Yurlik snorted and ruffled his feathers. If he wasn't so tired, that Scrafty would be getting a firm telling off. He marched from the castle and paused at the foot of the steps, his eyes going automatically to a derelict building.

That's where they resided. Sheltered by an old, burned out library. The pack of vicious dogs had taken over it after the Mighteyena who formally lived there relinquished it.

Yurlik flapped his wings and within an instant he reached the library. The head of a Houndoom looked up at the sound of his wing beats as he landed just outside the gaping doorway.

"Howlinger." Yurlik took in a steadying breath. "You're up next. Find them Outcasts."

The Houndoom flashed his sharp, white teeth in a grin. A loud howl split the air and in an instant, the pack of dogs rushed from the door, causing Yurlik to leap aside with a yell. He watched warily as Howlinger led the Wildfires across the Shadow Lands.

When the Houndoom was out of earshot, the Honchkrow snorted. "I'll deal with those two rebels myself..." He flapped his wings and took off into the air, the cold wind penetrating his already freezing body.

Howls resounded throughout the Border Woods as the Wildfires ripped through them, their eerie cries ringing out a warning to nearby Pokemon, leaving a smoke-trail as they demolished any obstacle in their path.

...​

"Going down a mountain is more difficult than going up it." Harlequin faltered as a small rock tumbled from beneath his paw.

Enigma warped into view, landing a couple of feet ahead of him. He looked back at the Zorua and smiled.

"It's only harder if you don't know where to put your feet."

"Easy for you to say!" Harlequin frowned. "You can warp your way down!"

The Banette chuckled, his bell echoing through the mountain air. "You might want to keep your voice down, Harle, or you might cause a landslide."

Harlequin closed his mouth and looked down at his paws, watching every step he took carefully. Before long, he was standing on the spot Enigma had previously occupied while the Banette was perched on a small outcrop several feet ahead of him.

"You know," Harlequin began, "if you keep rushing me, you'll end up having to save my life again."

Enigma folded his paws behind his head. "Sorry, Harle, I'm not exactly in the life saving business. You were just fortunate I was able to catch you last time."

Harlequin laughed and hopped over some steady rocks. Enigma watched him curiously, his eyes locked on the Zorua's nimble paws as he climbed down towards him.

"I think you enjoyed it," Harlequin told him.

Enigma looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. "Enjoyed it?"

"Yeah." Harlequin came to a stop beside him. "I think you enjoyed the fact you were actually able to save someone."

Enigma's smile turned into a frown and Harlequin's expression dropped. The Zorua raised a paw to take a step back and Enigma was suddenly aware he was glaring. He looked up, turned his attention to the evergreens ahead of them and sighed.

"If only I was able to save everyone."

He warped on ahead a couple of feet and Harlequin struggled to keep up with him.

"I'm sorry, Enigma. I worded that badly."

"Don't worry about it, Harle. I'm not."

Enigma took the silence that followed to mean Harlequin was worrying about it but choosing not to say anything more. He shrugged this off and continued to warp down the mountain, waiting at intervals for the Zorua to catch up.

They were soon amongst the pine trees, and the ground here was much more friendly to their feet and easier to walk on, albeit still rocky in parts. The canopy provided shelter from the falling snow, which lay in spatters here and there where it had managed to fall between the trees. There were no paths through them, but they acted as a barrier against rock slides. The rocks which had tried to crash their way through the forest were either stopped by the slender yet sturdy trunks or wedged between trees which grew closely together. A couple on the edge were straining backwards as they held back large boulders, resting against the trunks of those which grew close behind them.

Enigma looked up into the canopy, briefly considering taking to the branches. The trees had incredibly long trunks and doing so would raise him straight off the floor, making conversation with Harlequin near impossible. He shrugged to himself and resigned to walking along the cold, damp soil.

"It's sad to see there's no Pokemon living in this forest."

Enigma glanced down at Harlequin. The Zorua was looking up at the trees, his face sombre.

He looked away and closed his eyes. "They no longer want to live in the trees or in nests, and who can blame them really?"

"It's our fault," said Harlequin. "We helped with all this."

"And now we're helping to put it right."

Harlequin looked up at him. "We?"

Enigma shrugged. "There's no saying Pokemon are going to go back to living in trees after all this, they might decide to stay behind walls. But at least they'll spread out again, rather than congesting into little towns and villages."

Harlequin didn't poke him about skirting around his question. Instead he turned his blue eyes onto the path ahead of them.

"I wonder where Harbinger is hiding? I thought I might find him in the mountains."

"Who says he's hiding?"

Harlequin gave him a glance. "No one."

"Exactly. If he's moving around then our paths aren't likely to cross, are they?"

Harlequin closed his eyes and sighed. "You're right. But I'm not going to stop trying."

Enigma grinned. "Then get your tail in gear, I'm not out for an endless stroll."

"You're right. Besides, it's getting dark."

"Since when were you diurnal?"

Harlequin snorted. "If you want to chance an encounter with the Darkness, that's your call. I'd rather shelter and stay out of trouble."

Enigma held up his paws. "Fine, fine. We'll look for somewhere to hide."

They continued on through the woods, their conversation turning to pointless banter. The ground began to level out and the gurgle of a nearby river could be heard nearby.

Harlequin came to an abrupt halt, his nose twitching as he sniffed the air.

"Can you smell that?" His nose crinkled.

Enigma lowered his paws to his sides and gave the air a quick sniff before shaking his head. "No. Why?"

"It's poison." Harlequin turned, his nose going to the trunk of a tree. His body froze as his blue eyes locked on a streak of deep pink smeared up the bark. "There's a poison Pokemon living around here!"

"Really?" Enigma joined his side, eyeing the deep crevices gouged into the tree's trunk. "I'm guessing one with claws?"

"Or spikes." Harlequin looked at him, his expression grave. "This is a Nidoking's poison. They mark their territory by rubbing their spikes against cliff faces and trees – whatever they're living near. It's a warning to other Nidoking that one has already claimed the area, and also to other Pokemon to stay away."

Enigma chuckled. "So they don't like company?"

Harlequin frowned. "No." He moved past the Banette and continued through the forest.

Enigma watched him for a moment before warping to catch up with him. "You're not considering popping in for a visit are you? I know you like your poisons."

Harlequin laughed. "No. No, I'm not."

"Oh good. Because I don't quite fancy it myself."

The land opened out before them, revealing a clear river shimmering in the moonlight. It followed the valley around the side of the mountain. One of the trees had been cut down and thrown across the river to serve as a crossing for Pokemon to reach the other side. A thick layer of moss made its home on one side and the bottom reflected the light off the water as it passed under it. Trickles of snow were washed away down the river as a light wind stirred it up to fall off the top of the tree's broad trunk. Enigma could make out a couple of caves in the solid rock of the mountain and he skipped on ahead, his bell chiming loudly behind him.

"I think I found you a place to nap, Harle." He vanished into the cave and gave a drawn-out whistle. "It's bigger in here than it seems."

Harlequin's head appeared in the opening and he looked around quickly before joining Enigma.

"I wonder who this once housed?"

Enigma shrugged. "By the size of it, I'd say an Ursaring or something similar." He folded his paws behind his head and leant back against the wall. "You get some sleep, I'll keep an eye open."

Harlequin curled up near him and yawned. "Are you sure you don't want to get some sleep yourself?"

Enigma closed his eyes and chuckled. "You know sleep doesn't come easily to me."

Harlequin yawned again. "I know. The dark rings around your eyes say that much."

Enigma flashed him a grin and turned his attention to the cave opening. The presence of a Nidoking had unnerved him, but the only sounds he could hear were the gurgling of the river and Harlequin's steady breathing.

...​

Harbinger sat on the opposite bank of the river, hidden amongst the shadows cast by the massive evergreens. Those two Pokemon hadn't long since found that cave... his nose crinkled as his mouth turned up into a sneer. He snatched his eyes away from the cave and followed the river upstream to join Scratch and Claw. Surely they should be finished with their task by now?

He choked back a laugh and looked round at the cave once more. As soon as the first rays of the sun penetrated the darkness of that cave, his revenge plan would be complete.

...​

Light flooded the small cave, chasing away the shadows and marking the start of a bright day.

Enigma's eyes snapped open as Harlequin yawned. The Zorua stretched out his body and gave Enigma a small smile.

"Did you sleep well?" Enigma asked.

"Like a log." Harlequin shook his head sharply to straighten his fur. "I'm guessing you didn't sleep at all?"

Enigma shook his head. "If I did, I don't remember it."

Harlequin stared off in thought and licked his lips. "Do you want some breakfast?"

Enigma thought about this for a moment then nodded. "Actually, yes."

Harlequin laughed. "All right then, let me get freshened up quickly. I have some supplies in my bag. It might be nice to eat outside, since the weather looks good."

Enigma watched Harlequin as he made his way outside. The sky was clear, the sun's rays reflecting with a dazzling intensity off the snow. Harlequin flinched back and blinked his blue eyes several times until they adjusted to the new light. Once he'd vanished outside, Enigma ran a paw over his eyes and sighed.

He still needed to explain to Harlequin what had happened to him. He couldn't very well travel with him and not mention he was now infected with Pokerus. That at any moment he could snap and attack him like that Whimsicott.

The thought tied knots in his stomach and he found himself rapidly losing his appetite.

No... he needed to tell him.

He gave another glance to the cave mouth and closed his eyes again. Now was as good a time as any. He stretched his arms out to the sides, his back and shoulders popping, then rose to his feet, placing a paw against the wall to steady himself as a mild wave of dizziness threw him off balance.

"Enigma!"

Harlequin's strangled voice rang through the cave.

Enigma's eyes snapped wide open and in an instant he was outside.

Harlequin was lay sprawled in the snow, his eyes wide with terror and his breathing heavy as his rib cage rose and fell rapidly.

"Harle! What happened?" Enigma crouched at his side.

Harlequin didn't answer. His frantic eyes were fixed on something in the river and he stretched out a paw to direct him. Enigma looked behind him. Just beyond the fallen tree was a horrific mass, its giant spikes sticking out from a frame of violet battle armour.

A Nidoking.

Enigma's eyes went to the water. Flowing beneath the tree's slick trunk was a pool of blood, mixed in with a sticky pink substance which faded into nothing as it flowed away from the Pokemon's body.

He looked back down at Harlequin, his mind scrambling through every worse-case scenario. "Did you drink it? Tell me you-"

His words came to a halt as he ran a claw beneath the Zorua's wet chin. His heart did a flip in his chest and he grabbed Harlequin's bag.

"I don't have one."

Enigma looked back down at him. Was he serious? He didn't have an antidote?

Harlequin closed his eyes and tears streaked a trail down the fur of his cheek.

"No..." Enigma placed a paw on his shoulder. "You can't leave me." No sooner had the words left his mouth, his heart began to race and his breaths came in erratic bursts. He closed his eyes as tears filled them and his claws wound into the Zorua's thick fur. "Don't leave me all alone!"

Harlequin's warm paw closed over his and Enigma opened his eyes. Harlequin still had his closed, but his breathing was still heavy. He flinched as a wave of despair washed over him. He was powerless, he couldn't do anything. No... he had to do something... he couldn't just leave him. He looked up and down the river then stood up.

"I won't lose you." He scooped the Zorua into his arms and held him to his chest. He was almost weightless, most of his mass being a shaggy coat of fur over a slight frame. "I promise... I'm going to find you help!"

Enigma raced along the river bed, following it through the valley.

The poison was being washed somewhere. There was a target for it somewhere along this river, there must be. If there was, they might be able to help.

If they were still alive...

 

[Delirious Absol]

49 – A Village of Petals​

Flakes of snow were starting to gently fall again, joining the blanket that coated the grass and leaves of the softly swaying trees. The flakes that were unfortunate enough to land in the fast current of the river were melted away to nothing in an instant as they were washed downstream. The roar of the river cut through the tranquillity of the scene in its frantic attempt to join the lake.

Enigma raced alongside it, Harlequin clutched in his arms, his eyes on the distance, desperate to find somewhere – a village, a house, even an occupied nest – anywhere so long as there was someone who could help.

He followed the bend around the mountain side, the path narrowing dramatically for several feet. Enigma muttered under his breath as he had to slow to avoid losing his balance and plunging the both of them into the river's icy water. Once the path had widened out again, he broke into a sprint.

Something caught his eye and he faltered for a moment. Something poking out of the snow. Little shoots dotted with pink and blue flowers grew in a trail alongside what looked like hoof-prints. They followed the river until they vanished around the side of a large outcrop. The river itself went a different way, curving around the left hand side of the valley.

Hoof-prints... they were still fresh. Someone had passed by here recently... Enigma picked up his pace and followed them. His lungs felt fit to burst, but he had no time to rest. He followed the trail around the bend and before him stood a small village. The trail led all the way up to the gate and vanished into a mish-mash of other paw prints and snow trodden down into slush.

A wave of relief flooded through him and he found new energy to speed forwards. No sooner had he reached the main gate leading into the village, a burly Machoke cut in front of him.

"Oi! What do you think you're doing, ghost?!"

Enigma stopped himself before he collided with the large Pokemon. Several other Pokemon joined him, their eyes locked on the Banette. Amongst them were two Zangoose and a Gliscor. Enigma looked from each of them and shook his head.

"I'm not here for a fight, I'm here for help!"

"Help? You?" the Machoke scoffed. He looked down at the Zorua in his arms and sneered. "What do you take us for? This is obviously a trap!"

The other Pokemon chimed in, their voices mixed together as they all threw their own jeers and remarks at Enigma.

He shook his head again. "No! He's poisoned! There's a Nidoking carcass in the river!"

"Poisoned?!" one of the other Pokemon exclaimed.

"A Nidoking? What's he doing in the river?" the Zangoose asked her brother.

"That doesn't matter right now!" Enigma snapped. "What matters is you're all at risk and he needs help!" He nodded to Harlequin.

The Machoke looked down at the Zorua again and sneered. "You expect us to help him? That's Harlequin!"

"Yeh!" the Gliscor growled. "For all we know, he put the Nidoking in the river!"

Enigma's jaw dropped and he took a breath to steady himself. "Why would I warn you if we'd poisoned the river?"

"Because your nasty plan backfired!" the Machoke bellowed. He clenched his fists and took a step towards him. "Get out of here before we throw you out!"

"Let me take him out with a nightslash!" yelled the Gliscor.

The male Zangoose laughed and raised his claws. "Not if I beat you to it!"

Enigma grit his teeth. He wasn't ready to give up yet. "Look! He's on your side now. Do what you want with me, but please help him!"

The other Pokemon erupted into laughter.

"Our side?" The Machoke chuckled. "I'm not falling for that one!"

"He is! He's worked with the Outcasts."

"A likely story!"

"If you don't believe me, ask the Guild. He's friends with some Meowstic called Cleo!"

"I work for the Guild and I've never heard of her. Now get out!"

The Machoke raised his fist. It sparked dangerously with electricity and Enigma backed quickly away. The massive fighting Pokemon advanced and Enigma braced himself to fight back. If this Pokemon struck him while he was carrying Harlequin... he snarled.

"Stop!"

The Machoke's paw fizzled harmlessly in the air as he turned to looked back at the voice. "Elsa?"

A Lilligant shuffled through the crowd towards him and she placed a long leaf on the Machoke to usher him aside. She fixed her eyes on Enigma and looked down at Harlequin, his breathing now coming in short, frantic bursts.

"I'll take a look at him," she said.

Enigma stuttered and shook his head in disbelief. "You'll help?"

"Yes." She looked up at the Machoke then back at Harlequin. "This Pokemon is clearly in need of help. I have no doubt about that."

"But they're our enemy!" the Machoke said.

"Yes, yet they've come to us for help. Any Pokemon is capable of change. Show a little kindness, you get a little kindness."

The Machoke snorted and looked away. "You peace enthusiasts make me sick."

"That's a pity." The Lilligant sighed. "Why don't you go and examine the river? If what he says is true, and going off the sick Pokemon in his arms I'd say it is, then this whole village is at risk." She looked back at Enigma. "Come with me."

She turned and led him through the crowd. As he passed the Machoke he gave him a sideways glance that the other Pokemon took as a warning to step back.

"And while they are here," Elsa called back to them, "they are under my protection. Don't any of you try anything."

Enigma trotted to catch up with her. When he reached her side, he cast a quick glance back at the glowering crowd. It was thinning away now as the Pokemon left to check on the river. "I take it your the boss around here?"

She gave a tinkling laugh. "I wouldn't go that far. I head the Guild here. The town view me as more of an elder."

"Elder?" Enigma looked at her. He hadn't noticed before, but this Lilligant was quite advanced in years. The leaves around her head had a yellow tint to the edges and curled underneath.

Her eyes creased in a smile. "The Pokemon here respect me, but we have very different opinions. If I were younger, I think I'd be the laughing stock of the village."

She paused at the base of a large evergreen tree. A wooden building surrounded the trunk, reaching up into the tree's branches. She opened a door and led him inside. A flight of stairs wound up the trunk and opened out into a spacious room. The stairs continued on upwards to another floor and Enigma wondered briefly where they led to.

Elsa motioned for him to take a seat on a thick pile of browning leaves. "Make yourself at home. I'll be back in a moment."

Enigma watched her shuffle into an adjoining room before laying Harlequin down on the make-shift bed. He flopped down next to him and leant his head against the wall. The reactions he'd received were swirling around his head. He dug his claws into the bed of leaves and they crumpled in his grip. Normally his appearance would be met with fear, but when they'd seen how frantic he was they'd treated him like he was dirt.

He chuckled and let the brittle leaves flow between his claws as he raised a paw to rub across his eyes. Of course he was dirt. He'd destroyed lives left and right and now he was asking for help... he was fortunate enough to find one Pokemon in the village who'd answer his cry for help.

Elsa shuffled back in carrying a bowl in one leaf-like paw and a small bottle wrapped with a herb in the other.

"Has he been sick?" she asked.

Enigma shook his head. "No." He paused and frowned at the Lilliagant's concerned expression. "Is that a good thing?"

"Nidoking poison is notorious," she explained. "Vomiting is a natural mechanism for getting toxins back out of the body, but this one doesn't always cause that trigger."

Enigma felt his chest tighten. So that was a 'no'. "Will he be okay?"

She crouched down next to the Zorua and moved him so his head was resting on the bowl. "How long ago did he drink it?"

Enigma clenched his jaw and closed his eyes, looking away from the Lilligant. "I don't know. I've lost track of time."

Elsa said nothing. She removed the herb from the bottle and eased Harlequin's mouth open so she could feed it inside. Almost instantly, the Zorua's small body lurched and he vomited into the bowl.

Enigma flinched and curled into himself, hugging his knees to his chest. Seeing Harlequin like this made his stomach feel like lead. It wasn't the first time he'd seen him in distress. It wasn't the first time things could have been so easily avoided...

Harlequin let out a few heavy gasps and fell back onto the pile of leaves as Elsa set the bowl aside. She uncorked the bottle and rolled Harlequin onto his back. A small trickle of pink flowed from the bottle into his mouth and he gagged, choking as he rolled back onto his side.

Enigma tensed and rose to his feet, eyes locked on the Lilligant.

"Don't worry," she said with a laugh. "It just doesn't taste very nice."

"So that's the antidote?" The warning note in his voice didn't fall on deaf ears.

Elsa gave him a smile as she put the stopper back in the bottle. "It's actually an anti-venom. Nidoqueen poison, to be exact. On its own, its toxic, but if it's ingested at the same time as its opposite then they cancel each other out."

Enigma frowned and looked back down at Harlequin. His breathing was still rapid but not as shallow as it had been previously.

"I'm almost certain he'll be fine. He just needs to rest." Elsa stood up and collected the bowl. "You can relax now."

"I thought that stuff was rare."

Elsa looked back at him. "It is. That anti-venom was given to my husband after he helped the Nidoking that lives near here. He said 'you never know when you might need it'." She gave him a small smile. "And he was right, wasn't he?"

Enigma watched as she left the room. With a sigh, he fell back down onto the leaves and let his back rest against the wall. He looked back at the Zorua lying with his eyes screwed shut and his mouth slightly open as he took in frantic gasps of air.

"So she says you should be fine..." Enigma let out a sharp breath and looked down at his paws. "Oh, Harle. This is my fault. I was keeping watch, how didn't I hear all that going on outside?" His voice cracked and he clenched his fists.

Harlequin made a small noise and Enigma looked back down at him. His expression and position hadn't changed, but Enigma was convinced he'd said 'no'. Whatever it was, he didn't attempt to say anything else.

After everything they'd just been through, Enigma was starting to feel very tired. However, he didn't want to risk falling asleep. What if Harlequin needed him? He placed a paw against the Zorua's ribs and gave a sigh of relief when he felt his heart pulsing quickly. He had to trust if Harlequin stopped breathing, or his heart stopped beating, it would wake him up in time to do something about it.

"I'm sorry, Harle."

Harlequin tried to stretch a front leg towards him, his small paw curling around a leaf and stopping short of him.

Small... everything about Harlequin seemed small. His oddly shaggy coat fell flat over a delicate frame. From this angle, he didn't look remotely male.

Enigma chuckled drily and leant his head back against the wall, letting his heavy eyelids close. Sometimes he wondered if he'd been playing the fool.

That was an idea he had to beat out of his head with a thick club.

 

[Delirious Absol]

50 – Amongst Volcanoes​

Tinker nibbled at a strip of dried fish as he watched Starshine organise his tools by size. The little Swablu had simply announced he wanted to do it and wouldn't back down until Tinker opened his tool box. Starshine fluttered to and from the box as he dropped each tool onto the table and straightened them out next to each other. What had taken Tinker completely by surprise was that the Swablu knew the names of each one.

A soft knock resounded through the door and Tinker looked round briefly before declaring, "Come in."

The door opened and Skipper strode in, followed by Tad, Sandpaw and Scout.

"Ya'llright there, Tink?" Skipper flopped into a chair beside him and smiled at the Swablu. "Ah, ye let 'im play wi' yer tools then, aye?"

Tad tutted. "He's been beggin' uncle Skipper t'let us play wi' them fer days."

Skipper laughed. "Well, Tad, ye th'one who started it."

Tinker opened his mouth to respond to this but Sandpaw caught his eye. She cautiously approached the desk and looked down at the Swablu, Scout held firmly in her arms. Starshine chirruped and looked up at her, and his tiny eyes closed in a smile.

"Hi there!"

"Oh!" Sandpaw took a step back. "Hi?" She looked down at Tinker. "You have a baby dragon Pokemon?"

Starshine immediately went back to playing with the tools.

Tinker gave a small shrug. "Yes. I found him as an egg, and I'm raising him."

"Alone?"

"Not quite. I have Skipper." He paused as the Marshstomp gave Sandpaw a massive grin. "And his sister helps too."

"Why on earth do you- Scout!" Sandpaw gasped as the Sentret wriggled from her arms and hopped onto the table. "Be careful! It's a-"

"What's this?" Scout scooped up one of the screwdrivers.

Starshine inclined his head on one side, eyeing the Sentret curiously.

Tinker raised an eyebrow. "That's a-"

"Flat headed screwdriver," said Starshine.

Tinker stared at Starshine aghast. He looked up at Skipper, his mouth agape but nothing coming out.

Skipper gave a hearty chuckle and nudged Tad with his flipper. "Fast learner, thissun, aye?"

Scout turned the tool around in his paws, examining it from every angle. "What does it do?"

"Puts screws in things." Starshine hopped over to Scout and took the tool back, putting it carefully in the spot it had previously rested in.

"Not quite, Starshine," said Tinker. "It tightens screws."

"He talks well," said Sandpaw. "How long have you had him?"

"Several days now."

"Several days?!"

Tinker shrugged. "Every Pokemon advances at a different rate."

Skipper chuckled. "I think thissun's a prodigy!"

"That's not what I meant!" said Sandpaw. "How are you keeping a dragon in this place?"

Tinker put his head in his paws. "It's not an easy one, Sandpaw. But if he's raised with our morals, then..." he trailed off and stared at the little Swablu as he busied himself with the tools. The little Pokemon could clearly understand him, but wasn't showing any interest in his identity. "You've met Faith?" He turned back to Sandpaw. "Apparently Altaria have a mega evolution which is part fairy type."

"Oh!" Sandpaw smiled. "The new type from the Fairy Garden!"

Tinker frowned and looked away from her. "Yes, quite. Well, if we can find this one a mega stone then..." he scratched his head and sighed. "Where am I supposed to get such a thing?"

"Maybe ask Faith next time you see her?"

Tinker was silent. He crossed his arms and leant back in his chair. He wasn't wanting to tell Sandpaw that he didn't exactly want to ask the Mawile for help. He pursed his lips in thought, watching the little Swablu retrieve a spanner from Scout after blurting out a vague description as to what it did.

"So you're raising a baby," Sandpaw stated, drawing his attention back. "And you're running this massive city, all while visiting other cities... how do you do it all?"

Tinker gave a dry laugh. "I'm not running the city, I'm standing in."

"So there's someone higher up than you?"

"Yes. My father. But he's not here at the moment." He looked away from the Furret and picked up a diagram, absently staring at it.

"Oh..." Sandpaw rubbed her paws together and looked down at Scout.

She'd clearly taken his message he didn't want to talk about it. His father, a brave Blaziken, had founded New City with Grey. He'd gone to extend the city beyond the Moorland's Forest seven years ago and not returned. Dead... missing... he had no idea. He'd left Tinker in charge, and he'd heard nothing since.

"Well, he doesn't seem like a bad Pokemon..."

Tinker looked back up at Sandpaw. She had a paw placed on the desk while stretching the other one out to Starshine. The little Swablu chirruped happily and placed a shiny, silver object in her paw.

"That's a bolt!" Starshine told her. "Stops things falling apart."

Scout clapped his paws together and ran over to his mother. He took it from her and raised it up to his face so he could look through the hole in the centre.

"Wow! I've never seen one!" The Sentret laughed.

Starshine waddled over to the toolbox. "We have more!"

"Really?" Tad hopped onto Skipper's knee and placed his paws on the table so he could get a good look. "I see 'em every day, but Tinker never lets me play wi' 'em!"

Tinker smiled up at the Furret. "What do you think? Are these two good playmates for Scout?"

Sandpaw's face fell and she looked back down at Starshine, now handing various small screws and pins to Scout and Tad, telling them what each and every one did in a quick string of words.

"Oh, I..." Her face softened again into a warm smile. "Yes. Yes, I think so."

"Good! It's settled then!" Tinker leant back in his chair again and beamed. "We'll let this group play together and introduce Starshine to the rest of New City that way."

"Finally!" Skipper leapt from his seat and cheered, startling Sandpaw. "I thought this day'd never come!"

...​

"So you say we're not too far away now?" Cleo asked Reshiram as she folded the blue sheet into a neat little square.

"Not far at all," answered the white dragon. "My guess is we'll be there by sunset if the wind is in our favour."

"And if it's not?" Cleo took the collapsible poles off Faith and then stuck them in her bag along with the tent.

Reshiram laughed. "Then we'll be camping in the ocean!"

Spark dropped her berry and shuddered. "No! There's water there!"

Faith and Reshiram chuckled at the Dedenne's little outburst and Cleo looked down at her with a small smile.

"There sure is water," said Reshiram. "Not to worry, little Spark. We'll land on the beach if it looks to be slow going."

"Whew!" Spark retrieved her berry and took a bite out of it. "That's a relief." She paused and looked up at the large Pokemon. "I know you were joking, by the way."

Cleo threw her bag over her shoulder and looked up at the dragon. "If we're so close though, wouldn't it be worth to keep on flying?"

Reshiram shook his head. "Not in these times, Cleo. My tail would be like a beacon in the dark. We might find ourselves under attack."

"Oh." Cleo gave a curt nod. "Of course."

"Don't worry about it, Cleo," said Faith. "We'll get there."

"You certainly will!" said Reshiram. "You were making good progress before I found you."

"I've been meaning to ask, actually." Spark licked the berry residue off her paws. "How did you know how to find us?"

"Ahah!" Reshiram chuckled. "Xerneas sent me after the snow fall. It would have been too much of a trek for you all in the snow, so I was sent to give you a lift."

"But... finding us?"

"He said you'd be heading for the hills to pass through them on your way to find the fire Pokemon. The upside to flying is it's easy to spot who you're looking for from the sky. I headed for the hills and when I spotted the camp site, I put two and two together and waited."

Spark grinned up at him. "Well, we do appreciate it! Thanks!" She strutted over to Cleo and vanished into the snow with an 'eek!'

"Oh, Spark..." Faith reached into the thick snow and pulled her back out by her paw.

Spark nodded. "I see why you were sent now."

Once everything was gathered together, Reshiram lowered himself for the three Pokemon to climb onto his back. He took to the sky with an alarming speed that Cleo and Spark still weren't used to.

The night had been a quiet one, mostly due to the snow that had fallen again. The new tent the travelling Outcasts had given them had provided enough shelter from the harsh winds. Reshiram had slept outside, curling himself around the tent and periodically igniting his tail to give the other Pokemon some extra warmth. Oddly enough, the snow didn't bother him. Cleo just put this down to his fire typing. Whatever went on inside his body clearly provided him with some kind of resistance to the cold weather, as by morning he was as bright-eyed and cheerful as he always was.

The snow beneath his body had completely melted away, and the grass where his tail had been lying was dry enough for them to sit on. Despite having been lying in the snow, his feathers were virtually dry.

"I wish I could be as warm as that," Spark had sighed when she flopped down for her breakfast. "I'd never be soggy when it rains!"

Reshiram had chuckled at this. "Unfortunately, little Spark, I can't use my tail in the rain. It puts out the flames!"

"Oh! I can see the island!" Faith's voice drew Cleo out of her reverie. The Mawile pointed ahead of her and gave Cleo a large smile. "See! There it is!"

Cleo squinted into the distance. Sure enough, there was the island. She would have overlooked it if it weren't for Faith pointing it out. It was minute, and still many miles away. The ocean was just a blueish streak under the cloud-filled sky. If they were flying closer to the ground, it would be blocked out by the mountains and forests that dominated a majority of the region.

"How's the wind?" Spark called from her shoulder.

Reshiram glanced back at them. "So far, it's pushing us forwards! If it doesn't change, we won't need to camp before we get there!"

"Woohoo!" Spark punched the air with both fists. "We'll be there in no time!"

...​

Harlequin stood by the river, desperately thirsty. The water ran clear, the Zorua's reflection rippling and distorting. But before that maddening thirst could be quenched, the image distorted into that of a Zoroark. A wicked grin stretched across his face and the water parted in a violent spray as the Zoroark leapt out of the water, snatching at the Zorua's right front leg.

Harlequin's rear claws frantically grabbed at the ground as the Zoroark retreated back into the river, dragging the Zorua with him.

"No! Get off me! Get off me!"

...​

Enigma hadn't slept.

Elsa had been out most of the day to deliver the anti-venom to the two inhabitants who had drank from the river. Enigma was surprised the numbers weren't drastically higher, but he got an answer as to why quite quickly when the Lilligant returned later that evening with a bucket of water. When he'd asked where she'd got it from, she'd answered that there was a mountain spring nearby, not connected to the main river, and all of the village tended to use it for convenience. She quickly checked over Harlequin and made sure Enigma wasn't hungry before retiring to bed. She'd been reasonably happy with the Zorua's progress, giving him nothing more than a quick glance and taking Enigma's word that he hadn't taken a turn for the worse.

She gave him the bucket of water with two glasses and a plate of berries then left him for the night.

And he hadn't slept.

He'd watched the sun rise and reach its peak as it rose higher into the sky, poking out occasionally between the thick clouds.

He was starting to wonder if the village were the main target for that poison attack. If they were, then why wasn't the spring poisoned? Did their attacker not know about it? That was likely... but it was also likely the target was Harlequin or himself. They'd both made their fair share of enemies over the years.

Not to mention Harlequin wasn't easy to mistake. Those blue markings stood out vibrantly against his dark fur, his unique appearance finished off by a pair of alarmingly blue eyes.

An oddly-coloured Zorua... that's what everyone outside the Shadow Lands kept their eyes open for. Not a Zoroark... despite his age, Harlequin had not evolved.

His paw trailed over Harlequin's right leg, finding that familiar scar that had once caused him a lot of distress. The memory was still all too clear, yet almost dream-like. Finding Harlequin on the floor in a pool of blood as he tried to permanently stop any chance of evolution had been a sickening experience, yet Enigma had been oddly level-headed as he tried desperately to stop the bleeding.

He'd managed it, but if Harlequin ever changed his mind about evolving, Enigma was fairly certain he'd never be able to.

Harlequin's paw jerked and he muttered something. Enigma tore his eyes from his scarred limb and looked at his face. His mouth was pulled back in a sneer and his nose crinkled. Then his blue eyes shot open and he yelped, leaping to his feet. Enigma snatched his paw back as Harlequin's jaws snapped shut, his teeth closing over thin air.

Enigma watched the Zorua as his wide eyes focused blankly on the wall and he wobbled, falling back onto his side. His eyes closed again and he took in a few frantic breaths, his small body shaking.

Enigma grabbed one of the glasses and scooped water out of the bucket, placing the glass in front of Harlequin's nose.

"Here."

"Don't... touch me..."

Enigma frowned at the Zorua. "Come on, Harle. It's water."

"He's in the water..."

"This is from a spring," Enigma explained. "It's not poisoned. That's what she's told me, and she's all right, so she must be telling the truth."

Harlequin's eyes screwed shut and he said nothing, his head flinching back from the glass as Enigma nudged it closer to him.

"You need to drink something," Enigma told him.

Harlequin still didn't move. Enigma moved the glass to his other side and scooted closer to him, placing a paw beneath his head. The Zorua let out a wail and lashed out with his claws, catching them in Enigma's scarf.

"No! Don't touch me!"

"Harle! It's me!"

Harlequin let out another wail as Enigma hoisted him up on his lap so he was resting on both front legs with his head pressed against his chest. His wails trailed off as his nose twitched against his scarf.

"...Enigma?"

"Yeh." Enigma grabbed the glass and offered it to him. "Here. Drink this."

Harlequin lowered his muzzle to the glass and lapped at the water. He began to grow more frantic as he tried to quench his thirst and Enigma had to restrain the Zorua from diving nose-first into the glass.

He went through two glasses before Harlequin pushed the glass away and flopped into Enigma. He lay him back down on the bed of leaves and leant back against the wall.

"He wants to hurt me."

Enigma looked back down at the Zorua. His eyes were still closed but he seemed much less distressed.

"Who does?" he asked.

"I killed him," Harlequin answered. "Now he's in the water and he wants to hurt me."

Enigma frowned. There was no way Harlequin was talking about the Nidoking. He hadn't known that body was there. Killed him? Killed who? Like Enigma, Harlequin had killed a lot of Pokemon using his poisons, but which of those had caused this hysteria?

The first one? Had Harlequin killed someone before he was forced into Hydreigon's ranks?

A movement at the door broke Enigma's train of thought and he fixed his crimson eyes on the Lilligant.

"You're awake," she said with a smile. "How's your friend? I heard noise and thought something might be wrong..."

Enigma shrugged. "I think he was having a nightmare."

"That's no surprise." Elsa dropped down next to Harlequin. "Not only has he been poisoned, he'll be quite dehydrated. I see you managed to get him to drink? That's good."

Enigma let out a grunt. "It wasn't exactly easy, either."

Elsa looked over at him and her eyes fell on the plate of berries. "As for you, you need to eat something. You've not touched that plate at all, have you?"

"I wasn't hungry."

"You need your strength. You've been through a lot of stress yourself, and you aren't leaving here until you've eaten something." She waggled her leaf-like paw at him and Enigma felt himself shrink down beneath her glare.

"Fine, fine." He grabbed an oran berry from the pile and stared at it before giving her a sideways glance. "I can make myself invisible, you know."

"Yes, you can. But I'm not deaf. I'll just follow your bell and bring you back here." She gave him a warm smile and laughed. "I've raised two children, and the mothering instinct won't go away. Do excuse me."

Enigma chuckled and bit into the berry, trying not to grimace as the combination of flavours filled his mouth.

"You're excused," he said.

"You also don't look like you've slept."

"I'm used to it."

"Well..." Elsa stood up and picked up the used glass and a sitrus berry. "Anxiety doesn't help matters."

Enigma watched her as she scooped out a glass of water and began squeezing the sitrus juices into it. After a few moments, he yawned widely and folded his paws behind his head, letting his eyes close as he leaned back against the wall.

His mind was reeling with recent events but the memories began to blur together, distorting and creating nonsense, mixed in with mumbling, incoherent sounds. When Elsa's voice brought him back around, he hadn't known how much time had passed. The glass she'd been preparing was now empty, placed back beside the bucket of water. He was suddenly aware he was thirsty and grabbed himself a quick glass, downing it in a couple of mouthfuls before helping himself to another.

He looked down at Harlequin who was now breathing steadily, his ears and paws twitching as he dreamt. Elsa was sat observing him, her eyes going to Enigma briefly.

He cleared his throat and lowered his glass. "Did you ask me something?"

"Yes. I think you must have dozed off." She looked back down at Harlequin and brushed a leaf through his ruff. "You refer to your friend as a 'he', but are you sure this Zorua is actually a male?"

Enigma's eyes widened and he looked away from her, turning his focus to a spot on the floor.

"I just assumed, and he never denied it." Enigma felt her eyes on him and he gave her a glance and frowned. "How many female Zorua have you seen?"

"It's true that they are few and far between," said Elsa. "The same goes for Cyndaquil and Squirtle, amongst others. But it isn't impossible, otherwise the species would have died out long ago."

Enigma snorted. "But what are the chances Harlequin's female with those blue markings?"

"The markings are irrelevant." Elsa looked back down at the Zorua and sat back on her knees. "What is relevant is that you may be wrong."

"Like I said, he's not denied it." Enigma looked away from her. "Anyway, if you find out, don't tell me. I don't want to know."

"Why ever not? Surely you want to be certain, right?"

"No. It would just complicate things." He stood up and moved over to the window, looking down at the village below. "Anyway. I've had a rest. I'm going to find out who killed that Nidoking."

"Oh!" Elsa looked up at him. "I think they'll have removed the body from the river by now."

"They'll have put it somewhere." He looked back at her then down at Harlequin. "Thank you for your help, Elsa. Please keep an eye on him. If he wakes up, tell him I'll catch him later."

Elsa watched him climb onto the window sill. "Take care, Enigma."

He gave her a quick glance back then slipped through the window and vanished, warping through the town, keeping himself unseen.

Elsa listened until his bell faded beyond her hearing and looked down at the Zorua, now lying completely still. "You're awake aren't you? How much of that did you hear?"

Harlequin let out a small grunt and shrugged. "Enough."

"Why haven't you corrected him?"

The Zorua took in a long, shaky breath. "I've never seen him so scared."

Elsa didn't say anything, waiting for Harlequin to go on.

"I've seen him angry. I've seen him heartbroken." Harlequin curled a paw into the bed of leaves. "But if that's the last thing she saw... I was there. I don't ever want to risk putting him through all that again."

Elsa didn't really understand Harlequin's jumbled explanation. But one thing she was trying to say was certain. "So you refuse to tell him the truth?"

Harlequin didn't look at her. Her eyes were closed, and a trail of tears were running over her cheek.

"Harlequin? Are you all right?"

"I have to." She paused and took in another shaky breath. "It keeps a wall between us."

...​

Reshiram dipped his wings, letting himself and his passengers drop steadily from the sky. He beat the air at regular intervals as the ground grew closer and closer. Ashen and unwelcoming, the surface of the island was eroded into an uneven pattern of blackened rocks. A large volcano stood on the far left of the island, the slope somewhat steeper where the rock met the water. The rest of the volcano stretched across the land, sloping gently and covered in dry, brittle plants. Many of the trees had died long ago, and as they came closer into view they could make out the trunks, scorched black and surrounded by a thick, lumpy layers of smooth rock.

"This volcano once erupted," said Cleo.

"I think it's erupted a few times," said Reshiram. His feet finally touched the ground and he lowered himself for the other Pokemon to climb down. "To be honest, I think the volcano is still alive."

Spark looked up and sniffed the air. "I don't see any smoke."

Cleo dragged her feet over the ground. It was all solid rock. She couldn't see any patches of soft soil. What plants there were had poked up through jagged cracks. The long, thorny stems of a razz bush stretched across the ground, its roots finding their way down through the rocks. The hardy plant had forced its way through, and strangled any of the weaker plants it grew across. Its fat, lumpy berries clung on to the plant, and those that had fallen off lay rotten on the ground.

Faith stretched up to her full height and looked around at the rocky island. "I don't think anyone still lives here."

"There's only one way to find out," said Cleo. "We explore and see if we can spot any Pokemon. If not... we leave and try elsewhere."

Reshiram made a thoughtful noise and looked down at his friends. "I think I might have to wait for you here."

"Why?" asked Spark.

Reshiram stretched out his wings and nodded over to the volcano. "I'm too big to fit through all those rocks. And there aren't many places I can land."

The other Pokemon followed his eyes. Cleo hadn't really considered it, none of them had, but the surface of the volcano was very uneven. Rocky outcrops from the mountain jutted out at alarming angles, creating gaps in the path much too narrow for a Pokemon of Reshiram's size to fit through. He was right, they would have to go on alone.

"I'm sure you'll be fine," he said. "But if you need me, here." He reached into the ruff around his neck and plucked a feather free. Using his claws, he dug a hole into it then handed it to Cleo. "Blow on that. I'll hear it and come looking for you."

Cleo ran her paw over the soft feather. It was one of the dragon's smaller ones, but was almost as long as her forearm.

"Are you sure you'll hear it?" she asked.

"I have good hearing! Besides!" Reshiram chuckled. "In this empty island, how can't I hear it?"

Cleo gave him a smile. "Thank you, Reshiram. You've been a massive help."

"You really have!" Spark bounced up and down. "I've never flown before! I can't believe how fast we got here!"

"Like I said. If the wind is in our favour," Reshiram looked back out at the ocean, "we'd be here by sunset."

Cleo looked out at the setting sun. The clouds were dyed in orange and red. Would it be safe to look around in the dark on this island?

Probably not.

She reached into her bag and pulled out the tent.

"Good idea," said Faith. "It would be better to search in the morning."

"Yes, but..." Spark looked about, fidgeting her paws together. "What if we aren't the only Pokemon on this island?"

"Simple," said Cleo. "We do what we've always done. We keep watch."

Reshiram smiled down at them. "I'm happy to do that for you. You three can catch up on your sleep."

"Really?" Cleo gasped. "But you're the one who flew us all this way! Surely you need some sleep?"

Reshiram laughed. "I can assure you, I'm fine."

Faith struck him playfully on the shin. "Nonsense! You can sleep like the rest of us."

"Okay! But at least let me take the first and last watch."

The other Pokemon exchanged glances then broke into smiles.

"Okay," said Faith. "But only because I know you won't back down if we say no."

Reshiram laughed again.

After Cleo had set up the tent, the large, white Pokemon curled himself around it to provide some heat. Cleo felt it wasn't really needed, however. Unlike the main island, this one was devoid of snow. The ground wasn't warm, but somewhere there must be some source of heat that didn't let the snow stick for long.

While she was dividing up their meals, her eyes went back to the top of the mountain and the gaping mouth of the volcano – unseen from this angle but having seen it from above she knew it was there.

If it wasn't extinct, then there was the risk it could explode at any moment... and she really didn't want any of them to be around when it did.

 

[Delirious Absol]

51 – Cave In​

The Weavile threw open the doors to Hydreigon's throne room. The massive dragon let out a grunt of surprise and a low growl rumbled through the room, chilling the Weavile to the bone. He clutched the book to his chest and fixed his red eyes on the dragon briefly before looking back down at it.

"I found somethin' in Enigma's room," he explained. "Something I thought you might wanna see."

Hydreigon snorted. "What makes it so important you think you can barge in here like that?"

"Well, my lord, I found it underneath his bed, buried in some dusty rags." He dropped the book to the flood and nudged it forwards with his foot. "It's some story about good overcoming evil. That's what I get from it anyway."

Hydreigon lurched forwards, causing the Weavile to take a leap back. One of the smaller heads flipped open the book and his main set of eyes leered down at it. His large mouth twisted into a vicious sneer.

"You just... found this?"

"You recognise it?" The Weavile moved forwards, his claws clasped together. "I had a look through it. That Xerneas character overthrows the dark and dragon Pokemon so easily. I thought it might be relevant, considering the-"

Hydreigon slammed the book closed and turned his red eyes onto the Weavile. "Relevant?!"

The Weavile gulped, his entire body frozen in place under the dragon's wicked glare.

The rumble from his growl filled the throne room and he looked back down at the book. "Enigma's been hiding this... a book about Xerneas still exists in the Shadow Lands?!"

"You've heard of him?" The Weavile's voice came out weak and small.

Hydreigon snapped back to look at him. "I want you to pass a message on to Yurlik. Send his Murkrow to track him down if need be. I want that Enigma bringing back here. Now!"

The Weavile nodded and sprinted from the room, bolting out into the cold courtyard. He scanned the trees for any sign of the massive Honchkrow but there was no sign of him. He paused beneath a tree and screamed up into the branches, causing the sleeping Murkrow to let out cries of alarm, sending down a flurry of black feathers.

"Oi! Find Yurlik and tell him Lord Hydreigon wants Enigma back here alive!"

The flock of Murkrow rose from the branches and separated, spanning the Shadow Lands and several heading to the Border Woods. The cawing cries faded away into the distance.

...​

"Wow, this ground is harsh." Spark hopped over a crumbling rock, zooming on ahead of Cleo and Faith. She paused to glance back at them. "Watch out for that one!"

Cleo didn't need the warning. She pressed herself up against the steep, rocky slope and kept her paws away from the worse of the crumbling outcrop. Slithers of stone fell away beneath her feet, falling with a soft clatter onto the ground below. It wasn't especially high up, but a fall would still be a rather unfortunate experience.

Once safely on the other side, Cleo paused to lift Faith over the crumbling obstacle with a purple bubble of psychic energy.

"Thank you!" said Faith as her feet touched the floor. She glanced around, spotting Spark a few feet away. "I'm not sure what I make of this island. I'm not seeing any sign that Pokemon live here."

"Me neither." Cleo moved on, catching up with the fast Dedenne. "But I'm not willing to give up quite yet."

Spark looked back at her. "Well, you're not gonna like this!"

Cleo and Faith joined Spark's side on a jagged, jutting slab of smooth stone. Without realising it, they had scaled up the shallow slope of the volcano. Below them was another slope, somewhat steeper. It resembled a valley – a dry valley – as it rose up again on the other side. But where one would expect a river lay a long, deep, jagged crevice. A tattered rope bridge ran across it, and wide gaps lay in the surface where many of the wooden slats had fallen away.

"With the state of that bridge," said Faith, "I think it is safe to say no Pokemon live on this island."

"Or they're all trapped on the other side," said Cleo.

Spark looked up at her. "Can you get us across?"

"I could certainly try! The only problem is I wouldn't be able to go with you."

"That won't do," said Faith. "I think we may need to find a way around it."

"You mean try the other side of the mountain?" Cleo asked.

Faith nodded sadly. "It means backtracking a fair bit. But we'll get there!"

Cleo stared at the deep drop for a moment. It was a natural formation, but it wasn't unreasonable to believe the damage was done by a Pokemon. Many Pokemon specialised in using the ground to their advantage in battle. This crack may have been caused by a Pokemon using earthquake or fissure. If that were the case...

"What if this was done to protect the Pokemon on the other side?"

Spark and Faith looked at Cleo.

"It's not unreasonable," Cleo went on. "And if it is to protect them, it will probably be the same on the other side of the volcano."

"So what do you want to do?" asked Spark. "Go back?"

Cleo shook her head. "No. I want to have a look at it."

"A look? At a giant crack?"

Cleo slipped past the Dedenne and clambered awkwardly down the steep slope. The ground was uneven and due to the volcano's activity, what rocks stuck out were pretty solid and coated in a slippery, black shell. Several times, Cleo almost slipped, landing on her bottom and struggling back to her feet. When she finally reached more level ground, her heart was racing.

Spark placed her paws on her knees and doubled over next to her. "I have to say, I'm not looking forwards to climbing back up there."

Cleo looked back at the steep slope. The way they'd come down was the safest-looking option. The rest of the mountain surrounding them was dangerously steep and slippery. Her eyes trailed down it to the crevice. The slippery black stone flowed over the edge of the deep drop, coating the edges with a dark stone that shimmered in the sunlight. One would think it might still be wet, but it was solid and glassy to the touch. Cleo didn't know much about volcanic activity, but the different rocks on this island must have something to do with it. Some were brittle, some were smooth, most were dark but here and there were paler rocks, dusted grey with ash, that looked like they might be made from some spongy plant. This type of rock layered the deep crevice before it turned a rustic brown further down.

"Wow," said Spark. "It's deep."

"It sure is," said Faith. "I'm not sure how we're going to cross, though. The bridge doesn't look remotely safe."

Cleo looked up from the deep fissure to the ragged bridge that ran across it. The rope was held in place on either side with wooden pegs, all of which were singed black at the base. Close up, it looked incredibly unwelcoming and dangerous. The wooden panels lay haphazardly across the rope structure, and many indeed were missing. Those that were left were tinted black and grey like the ropes themselves. A little of the original creamy-white colouring showed through.

Cleo had to admit she didn't really want to chance that bridge.

"We can't just assume the Pokemon here are trapped," she said. "There must be another way across."

"Reshiram?" Spark suggested.

"He's too big," said Faith. "He'd get stranded here."

Cleo looked around them at the steep sides and nodded. "It might look spacious to us, but not to him. He needs room to take off."

Spark sighed and sat down. Her large eyes were drawn to the massive crack and she twitched her nose in curiosity.

"Cleo... I don't think this break goes all the way through the island."

Cleo looked over at her. "No?"

"No. I mean... if it did, the island would be in two, right? There'd be water down there."

Cleo and Faith peered over the edge of the fissure.

"You have a point," said Cleo. "But... what are you getting at?"

"It's a deterrent. Pokemon can't cross it because they'd fall to their deaths. But... what if there is another way across? The bridge is worn and battered, but think about it. We know some Pokemon live underground with a lot of exits and entrances. Wait..." She looked up at Cleo. "What if the Pokemon here live underground?!"

"Fire Pokemon..." Cleo stared at Spark for a moment then looked up sharply, her eyes going to the top of the mountain. "It's a volcano... they'd want to stay where its warm!" She bolted over to the steep surface of the mountain. "Spark, you're a genius!"

Spark leapt to her feet. "I am? What did I do?"

Faith laughed and followed after Cleo. "You gave us an idea!"

Spark darted after them on all fours. "You're climbing back to the top again? N'aww!"

The slope was much steeper than the one they'd come down, and the rocks were brittle in places, crumbling away beneath their paws. The slippery rock was equally as difficult and Cleo made a point of staying away from it. The shimmering trails marked the magma's path down the side of the mountain, pooling into the deep fissure below. Cleo couldn't help but think any Pokemon that survived that drop would meet a terrible end when the volcano erupted.

The higher they climbed, the more treacherous the rocks became. Stiff plants jutted out from the rock, splitting it and causing it to crumble effortlessly beneath their paws. The plants themselves provided a stable hold to hoist themselves up, or to hang onto when the ground crumbled, but with each slip, Cleo's heart lurched into her throat and the yells from her friends behind her caused her to look back. They were okay, but she received a clear view of the ground below and her head began to spin. She screwed her eyes shut and turned her face back to the peak of the volcano. One paw... then two... she forced herself over the dangerous slope and finally her paw touched level ground. She pulled herself up then offered a paw to Faith, pulling the Mawile up beside her. Spark had decided to ride on the Mawile's back and hopped off as Faith doubled over to catch her breath.

Cleo took a look around. A brittle, burnt tree stood a couple of feet away, its scorched and bare branches reaching down like black claws. The mountain rose on behind it, opening up into the mouth of the volcano. Their path, however, was still cut off by that deep crack.

Faith looked up. "Where are we?"

"Stuck," said Cleo. "We can't reach the mouth of the volcano with that crack in the way."

"You think we can get into their home through that?" Spark gasped. "What if it's live?!"

"If it's live, we'll know before we reach it," said Cleo. "It will be hot."

Spark shook her head. "Even a fire Pokemon wouldn't live in a volcano." She paused. "Unless its a Magmar or something."

"Spark has a point," said Faith, still trying to catch her breath. "If the Pokemon here are living underground then they'd want to stay where its warm, but not right in the thick of molten rock."

Cleo made a thoughtful noise and looked away from the volcano. Her eyes landed on the burnt tree and for the first time she noticed something was nailed to it. She ventured over, taking in the blackened piece of wood. Engraved into its surface were two words, barely readable beneath the years of damage and wear.

"What is it?" Faith joined her side.

Cleo squinted, trying to read the faded words. Then her heart skipped a beat. The words read a warning, giving her a clear idea of the nature of the island's Pokemon.

'Stay away'.

Spark made an audible gulp. "Well, I think I know when I'm not welcome."

Cleo nodded and took a step back. "I agree. I think we shou-"

A loud crack echoed across the island as the rock beneath them split, caving in and sucking them down amongst the debris. Cleo landed hard on her back, and her body was pelted with the sharp, brittle rocks. It seemed to last an eternity, the debris falling in bursts as more and more of the land caved in above her.

When it finally settled, the noise faded, revealing a distinct clanging of metal. She sat up, coughing as dust filled her nose and throat. What was that noise? She fanned at the grey dust cloud and looked around at the pile of rocks and splintered wood. The mound shifted and Faith's surprised face appeared, small rocks falling away from her. She pushed herself free from the debris and fixed her wide eyes on Cleo.

"Are you all right?"

"Are you?" Cleo asked.

Faith nodded and looked down at herself. "I think so. Are you okay Spark?"

Spark's muffled voice grumbled a reply. Faith raised her horn and opened its massive jaws. Spark peered out and shook her tiny head before hopping onto the dusty rocks.

"What's that clanging?" she asked.

Cleo let out a sigh of relief. So Faith had thought fast and caught Spark safely in her jaws before the ground completely gave way... she stood up and looked around them. The clanging noise was fading away, along with the dust cloud. Beyond it stood an iron fence and three stone walls. Above them was a gaping hole, the light blocked out by that burned tree. It had toppled over, trapping them deep underground.

"Cleo," said Faith. "I think this is a cell."

Cleo looked out again at that iron gate and her heart sank. She ran over to it and placed her paws on the cold, unwelcoming bars. The walls joined it on either side. Faith was right.

They were trapped.

...​

The two Zangoose and the Gliscor were still working beside the river, trying to clear out as much poison as they could. As Enigma drew closer, he could make out the massive form of the Nidoking several feet away from them. The snow beneath his body was dyed a pale red and a streak of deep pink trailed down from under his horn. The chime of a bell cut through the sunset, causing the three Pokemon to look up sharply.

Enigma materialised beside the Nidoking's body and scanned it over with his eyes. The body was cut in several places, most notably around his horn.

"Hey!" The Gliscor rounded on him, and Enigma dodged, just barely moving out of the Gliscor's path as he flew towards him, his pincers glowing with an eerie black light. The large scorpion-like Pokemon landed in the snow, glaring at him. "You aren't welcome here!"

Enigma snorted and looked back at the Nidoking. "I'm only here to see if I can figure out who poisoned the river."

"Well you're not wanted!" the Gliscor snapped.

He raised his claws to ready another attack and Enigma rolled his eyes at him.

"Threaten me all you want," Enigma said, his voice bored. "But I think you'd be interested to know, I've figured this out."

"You're joking." The male Zangoose sounded surprised. He approached Enigma, keeping one eye on him as he looked down at the Nidoking. "None of us have a clue."

"That's because the murder isn't from here." Enigma pointed to the Nidoking's horn. "See those fine slashes? Only a Pokemon with blades can do that."

The Gliscor glowered at him. "Who's to say you didn't do it using a blade?"

"Why would I poison my friend then ask you for help?" Enigma stared at him, but a surge of surprise caused his eyes to widen and he looked away. Friend? He shook off the shock and turned his attention back to the Nidoking. "I've also just spent an entire day in your town and spared you all." He chuckled. "Right? I think it's clear to you now that this isn't some convoluted trick."

The Zangoose stared at him for a moment then looked away. "He has a point, Kale. This isn't his doing, I'm certain."

The Gliscor mumbled incoherently and went back to the river.

"So what Pokemon has blades?" the Zangoose asked. "Because all I can think of is a Scyther, and a Scyther would be poisoned itself."

"A steel type wouldn't," said Enigma.

The Zangoose let out a small gasp. "A Scizor? But they don't have blades!"

Enigma chuckled. "Come on, wrack your brain! I haven't got all night, I need to track this killer down."
The Zangoose snarled. "Is this some kind of game to you?"

Enigma clasped his paws behind his head and gave the Zangoose a sideways smirk. "What dark Pokemon is covered in a steel body? Enough steel that they cut up whatever they carry?" He nodded to the Nidoking's torn body.

"Bisharp and Pawniard," said the Zangoose. "But they were wiped out, weren't they?"

"One would think. But I've spotted two recently." Enigma turned away from him. "They hang around with an Absol."

The Zangoose gasped. "An Absol did this?!"

"They bring disaster, don't they?"

Enigma walked away, leaving the Zangoose to mull over what he'd said.

Yes, they bring disaster. And this one was only going to bring disaster on himself.

Harbinger... why would he have poisoned Harlequin if they were friends?

Enigma felt his face twist into a sneer and he launched himself into the branches of the evergreen trees. That Absol must still be lurking about somewhere. If Harlequin was his target, he'd want to make sure he was dead. Enigma needed to get high up enough to survey the area, and see if he could spot that Absol or his Pawniard comrades amongst the white snow.

He warped into the highest branches and the tip of the tree bent dangerously, the fine branches barely holding his weight. He cast his eyes quickly over the ground before warping across the treetops, adopting the same position in each tree, each one bending at the tip and flicking back up again as he left it.

The valley seemed empty, a stark comparison to the village he'd left behind. But he found his clue faster than he expected. In the snow were a set of three paw prints. Large, flat, clawed prints ran through the middle of a pair of small, sharp ones.

Enigma grinned.

Throwing himself into the lower branches, he followed the trail leading up to the mountain. His bell was ringing out like a siren. If the Absol heard it, going off his reaction the last time they'd met, he wouldn't be inclined to run.

If he was bold enough to poison Harlequin knowing Enigma was present, this Absol clearly didn't fear him.

But there he was. Running along the mountain, the Pawniard twins at his side.

Enigma laughed. So he was a coward!

With two swift warps, Enigma was on top of the Absol, bowling the feline onto his back. Harbinger lashed out with his claws and the two Pawniard rushed at him. Enigma placed his paw on the Absol's chest, reaching into his rib cage.

The Absol froze, his red eyes widening as they locked onto the Banette's.

Enigma looked up briefly at the Pawniard. "I'd stop if I were you. You don't want to be the reason I kill him... do you?"

The Pawniard froze and took two steps back, their large eyes going from Harbinger to Enigma and back. One of them ran his claws together uncertainly, the shrill screech of metal cutting through the air.

Enigma turned his eyes back on the Absol. The disaster Pokemon sneered at him, flashing his canines. Enigma just laughed.

"Well, what do you know. I caught you." Enigma shrugged. "Are you going to tell me why you poisoned Harlequin? Or was the village really your target?"

"Of course it was Harlequin!" Harbinger snapped. "The village was just an added bonus!"

"Oh, really!" Enigma feigned surprise. "Well, the village is fine. Harlequin is also fine. But what I find surprising..." He fastened his claws around one of Harbinger's ribs, causing the Absol to flinch, "is that I thought you and Harlequin were childhood friends."

"Friends?!" the Absol spat. "He abandoned me!"

Enigma loosened his grip, his eyes wide with surprise. "Abandoned you?"

"Yes! To go and work with you scum in the Shadow Lands!" Harbinger let out a low growl, his lips pulling back from his teeth.

"Funny... he told me you were dead."

Enigma was expecting the Absol to be surprised at his words, but his muzzle creased in a vicious snarl.

"He lied!" Harbinger roared. "He lied to me, he lied to you! He's a liar!"

Enigma chuckled, affirming his grip and causing Harbinger to let out a groan as his face grimaced in pain.

"Oh, he didn't lie to me. Let me think... who told you he'd gone to work in the Shadow Lands? A fat Honchkrow I'm assuming?"

Harbinger was silent, but a look of recognition crossed his face.

Enigma chuckled. "Thought so. You see, that fat bird is a compulsive liar. He's the one who lied to you. He's the one who told Harlequin you were dead. Now... that poor Zorua has found out you're alive and is looking for you."

Harbinger's eyes had lost the fire of rage, but his sneer still stood firm on his face.

"Ordinarily, I'd kill you for what you've done, but he's looking for you, expecting a happy reunion." Enigma lowered himself until he was almost nose to nose with the Absol. "I'll let you go alive if you promise to me you'll give him one."

A gritty growl escaped Harbinger's throat. "I'm not promising you anything!"

Enigma chuckled and sat back, staring down at his claws effortlessly nestling beyond the Absol's chest. "Pity... I really don't want to take your life." He let out a sigh. "Harlequin would never forgive me." He shrugged. "Oh well. At least I know the truth."

Harbinger let out a howl as Enigma tugged at one of his ribs.

"Stop it!"

He froze, looking up at the Pawniard twins. One of them had approached him and stood protectively beside the helpless Absol.

"Please, stop..." He looked down at Harbinger. "You can't kill him. He's all we've got."

Enigma stared at him, his grip on the Absol loosening. The Pawniard's words had been a little close to home.

He frowned. "You're just as responsible, kid."

"We're sorry." The Pawniard looked back at his nervous brother who nodded briskly. "If we'd known... if Harbinger had known... we wouldn't have done that... it was wrong." He paused and shifted closer to the Absol. "Please... don't kill him."

Enigma let out a sigh and released the Absol, letting his claws slide harmlessly back out of his body. He stood up and took a step back.

Harbinger flipped himself up onto his feet and snapped, his jaws closing around Enigma's paw.

The Banette let out a yell, snatching his paw back as Harbinger sprang away from him. The Absol's fur was on end, his tail held low. The two Pawniard scurried backwards to join him, their eyes not leaving Enigma.

He looked down at his paw, red blood coating his grey fur. He clutched it tightly as he watched the Absol turn away and sprint across the snow, vanishing into the mountains.

 

[Delirious Absol]

52 – Tyrix​

Faith collapsed against the iron gate, the flames from her horn's jaws fizzling out as she slid down it, exhausted. A deep echoing clang reverberated through the ground and faded away, causing Spark to stare at the floor with a raised eyebrow.

"What are these things made of?" Faith gasped out.

Spark raised a claw. "I can try the lock again?"

Cleo looked down at the little Dedenne. Spark was perfectly able to slip between the bars, which a standard sized Dedenne would have had trouble with. However, she refused to leave them.

"Spark, do you want to see if you can find help?" Cleo suggested, and not for the first time.

Spark shook her head sharply. "I told you, Cleo, I'm not risking running around in here! These are cells. Why do they have them?"

"She has a point, Cleo," said Faith. "We were told the Pokemon on Fire Island decided to keep themselves to themselves. They might not welcome strangers with friendly smiles."

Cleo grit her teeth and looked back up at the hole in the ceiling. The dust had settled now, and a small ray of dim light trickled down between the branches of the fallen tree. The sun was setting. If the Pokemon on this island were nocturnal, they would probably find out very soon.

"What about Reshiram?" Spark asked.

"That's a good point," said Faith. "I worry he'd get stuck trying to help us out, but we are really out of options now."

"I agree." Cleo reached into her bag for the long white feather. "If it comes to it, I can always lift him with psychic." She stared down at the feather. She'd never lifted a Pokemon of Reshiram's size before, and she was doubting she'd be able to do it.

Her train of thought was interrupted by a jumble of clanging noises from deep in the tunnel. All three pairs of eyes looked to the right as the noise grew with intensity and faded away. It wasn't dissimilar to the noise they'd heard when they struck the ground. The same noise had reverberated through the cells with each attack Faith had thrown at the bars, ringing out through the tunnel like an alarm. As it faded away, heavy footsteps slapped the floor, growing louder as they moved closer and closer.

Shadows flickered up the walls, shrinking as an orange light moved with a swaying motion towards them. A dark shadow beneath it turned and fixed two ruby eyes onto them. It was difficult to make out the towering Pokemon's face, but the orange flames on its back lit up a pair of glistening canines as its face twisted into a sneer.

"Outsiders!" The Pokemon's heavily masculine voice boomed out, causing the three Pokemon to back away from the bars. A flicker of flames shot out from between his teeth, lighting up his face enough for them to make out the pointed muzzle of a Typhlosion. "What are you even doing here?!"

"We were..." Cleo's voice cracked as the Typhlosion's intimidating glare focused on her, and she paused to clear her throat. "We were looking for a fire Pokemon to help us."

"Help you?!" He tried to mask an amused smirk behind a sneer. "Not enough fire Pokemon on the main land?"

Faith glanced back at Cleo then took a step towards the Typhlosion.

"Fire Island was suggested to us," she explained. "So we came to search here."

"A Mawile?" The Typhlosion's muzzle crinkled with disgust. "Some nerve you've got coming here, with that glaring weakness of yours!"

A stream of flames shot from his mouth and Faith took a small step back, her eyes watching the ground glow red for a moment before the intense heat flizzled away.

Cleo placed a paw on Faith's shoulder and gave her an apologetic look before turning her attention back on the snarling Typhlosion.

"We're sorry we disturbed you," she said. "If you let us out of here, we'll leave. We'll go back to the main land and never return."

"No." Faith removed Cleo's paw from her shoulder, keeping her eyes on the large fire Pokemon. "He might be the one we're looking for."

"You're kidding!" squeaked Spark with a nod at the Typhlosion. "This guy?"

The Typhlosion's ruby eyes snapped down to Spark. His mouth twisted into a huge grin and he doubled over as he exploded into a fit of laughter. His paws clutched at his stomach and he screwed his eyes shut, uncontrollable giggles shaking his body.

"Would you look at you!" he panted, fixing one eye on Spark. "I've never seen... a Pokemon so small!"

Spark frowned and small jolts of electricity danced over her whiskers.

The Typhlosion's laughter came to an abrupt stop as a dry cough racked his body, and large clouds of black smoke shot out of his mouth with each violent burst. The flames on his back went out with a flash, plunging the cells into darkness, nothing more than that weak light from the darkening sky making everything look grey.

Any attempt to shock him left Spark's mind and she looked up at Cleo and Faith.

"Are you all right?" Faith asked.

"Back off!" the Typhlosion snarled.

"Never!" Faith gripped the bars of the cell, fixing her violet eyes on the Typhlosion's. "You're clearly sick. We can help you."

"I have all the help I need! I don't need it from some outsider like you."

"I think you do," said Cleo. "We have berries, and meat. I didn't see many of them on our climb through the mountains." She reached into her bag and pulled out a sitrus berry, handing it through the bars to the Typhlosion. "Here. All Pokemon eat sitrus and oran berries when they need strength, and we have plenty."

The shadow of the Typhlosion's large body rose up slightly as he fixed his eyes on the large, orange fruit.

"Are you trying to bribe your way out of here?" he growled.

"No." Cleo pushed the berry forwards. "You can leave us in here all you want. Just take it."

The fire Pokemon laughed bitterly and pushed himself to his feet. "I could take everything from you, even your lives."

"But you won't," said Cleo. "Or you would have done so by now."

She paused as the Typhlosion stared down at them, his body hunched forwards as his breath came in quick, uneven bursts.

"I've met Pokemon who do want to kill us," she said. "They don't exactly give you a chance to speak."

"Unless they want information," added Spark. She looked up at the large Pokemon. "Is that what you want? Information?"

The Typhlosion snorted and turned his head sharply away from them.

"Didn't think so," said Spark.

A loud click echoed through the cell, causing the iron bars to vibrate. The gate lurched outwards, almost dragging Faith and Cleo off their feet. The Typhlosion stood in the open doorway, leering down at them.

"Go."

The small group of Pokemon moved out of the cell and stood in the dimly lit tunnel, looking left and right. The Typlosion gave a small, exasperated sigh.

"Sorry," said Cleo. "Which way do we go?"

"This way." The Typhlosion turned and moved away through the tunnel.

Cleo, Faith and Spark exchanged glances before following after him. His movements were slow and sluggish, and his large paws slapped heavily against the floor. What had once sounded like a large, strong Pokemon stomping down the tunnel was now clearly the sound of a tired, sick Pokemon trudging along with what strength they had left in their body.

The tunnel turned sharply upwards, revealing a set of stairs carved out of the blotchy, grey stone that was prevalent in these volcanic mountains. The Typhlosion dragged himself up them, grunting with the effort. As he reached the top, he stood aside and pointed at a large opening just ahead of him. Another flight of stony steps were lit up with the dwindling rays of the setting sun.

"There," he grumbled. "You're out."

Cleo looked back at him to thank him, but her words froze in her mouth. In this light, she could now make out his appearance. His mouth hung open as he gasped for breath from the exertion of climbing the stairs. What alarmed her the most was she could count each of his ribs through his dull and dirty fur.

"Goodness!" gasped Faith. "When did you last eat something?"

He pulled his lips back from his teeth and let out a low, rumbling growl.

"Stop it!" Cleo snapped. She reached into her bag and pulled out their provisions. "I want you to help yourself. Take as much as you need."

The Typhlosion stared down at the assorted berries and dried fish as Cleo unwrapped them on the dry ground. His eyes snapped back up to hers and flashed his canines.

"I don't need your pity."

"It's not pity," she said flatly. "Take it as a thank you for leading us out of here."

"Yes," said Spark. "And please take some back to your friends too."

The Typhlosion looked at Spark and the flames on his shoulders erupted into life. He let out a roar, causing the Dedenne to flinch into Cleo's fur. But his voice cut off as his body swayed, the flames going out once more as he flopped into the tunnel wall. He struggled to catch his breath as he slid to the ground, his fur dragging up dark dirt from the dry, sooty walls.

Faith leapt to his side and placed a paw on his shoulder. She looked up at Cleo.

"Can you carry him? We need to get him somewhere more comfortable."

"I can try." Cleo unfurled her ears, watching Spark as she leapt onto the floor to safety. "But I don't know where his room is."

"All we can do is try." Faith quickly gathered up the berries and meat and popped them into Cleo's bag. "I'm not wanting to leave him though, he's in desperate need of help."

Spark watched the Typhlosion rise into the air in a bubble of purple light. "It's just so sad he's got too much pride to accept it... and it's led to this." She let out a wistful sigh. "I actually want to cry."

Faith scooped Spark up in her paws, causing her to let out a squeak of surprise. She held the Dedenne to her chest and moved down to the corridor, letting Cleo fall into pace behind her as she checked each of the rooms and tunnels they passed by. Cleo thought for a brief moment she could see tears in the Mawile's eyes.

...​

The Typhlosion lay on a pile of stale hay. Faith had spotted the room as they navigated the complicated tunnels. The room was further underground than they had been previously, possibly on the same level as the cells.

Spark stood aside, her electricity lighting the room as Cleo searched for some sitrus berries in her bag. The Typhlosion was still alive, but Cleo was anxious he might not wake up any time soon. Reshiram was waiting for them, and she didn't want to make him worry if they took too long.

"It's a shame we don't still have Harlequin with us," said Spark. "Her bitter herbs would wake him right back up."

"I know," said Cleo. "Depsite the bitterness, they're oddly invigorating."

She pulled out two sitrus berries and set them on the ground, giving a look over her shoulder at Faith. The Mawile was stood in the entrance to the room, looking absently down the dark, empty corridor. She'd been silent since they'd found this room, and during their walk through the winding tunnels any words from her had been few and far between.

"Are you all right, Faith?" she asked.

"Hmm?" Faith looked back at her and let out a small sigh. "I've just been putting the pieces together. The emptiness of the mountains and these tunnels... his reaction when Spark suggested he take some food back to his friends rang out as clear as day. He's alone here."

Cleo glanced down at the Typhlosion. Faith had a point. This Pokemon very likely was alone. They'd not seen any evidence to support otherwise.

"Do you think that's why he's been so aggressive?" Spark asked. "He's not used to company?"

"I think it might run a lot deeper than that," said Faith. "He didn't seem to trust us."

"No," said Cleo. "But he was kind enough to show us the way out."

"I'm not saying he's a bad Pokemon," said Faith. "Quite the opposite. The thing is, he referred to us as 'outsiders'. All we know about Fire Island is what we were told – that they keep themselves to themselves. We've not been told why. Now we're here, and we find not an army of fire warriors, but a lone Typhlosion who's voluntarily starving to death."

"Voluntarily?" Spark's exclamation of surprise echoed off the bare walls.

"It's not like he can't leave the island. There are many ways to come and go," Faith explained. "I think there were problems with the main land. A fall out. Or a war. Something that's put a strain on the relationship between the inhabitants of Fire Island and those that live outside it."

"But we were told the Pokemon here migrated to the main land," said Cleo.

Faith folded her paws and leant against the wall. "We weren't told the reason why, though."

A snort of laughter came from the Typhlosion and they looked round at him. He was pushing himself up with his forepaws, his eyes still closed as he choked between bursts of laughter.

"You want to know why?" He opened one eye and leered at the Mawile. "I want to know why you haven't left."

"We weren't going to leave you in the state you're in," Faith told him.

"Why not?!" he roared.

"Why?!" Spark almost screamed. "Because we're not heartless!" She picked up a sitrus berry and waved it at him. "Now eat this before I force it down your neck!"

Faith placed both paws over her mouth and looked from the Dedenne to the Typhlosion.

The fire Pokemon's face softened from rage to confusion and he let out a small, amused laugh as he took the berry from Spark.

"Quite a feisty little pipsqueak aren't you?"

Electricity danced across Spark's whiskers and she folded her arms. "If you weren't so weak, I'd zap you for that remark."

He looked from one Pokemon to the next as he bit into the sitrus berry, the juices running over his chin and claws.

"I don't understand why you three are so insistent on helping me."

"Because you're sick," said Faith. "I already told you, we're not happy to leave you in this condition."

He snorted and lowered the berry. "Don't you blame me?"

"Blame you?" Faith gasped. "For what?"

"All that massacre." He waved a paw absently at the wall. "I thought you three, of all Pokemon, would bare the biggest grudge!"

The three Pokemon exchanged confused glances before looking back at the Typhlosion.

"Oh old Tyrix did it!" The Typhlosion went on. "Tyrix raised an army of fire! Run for your lives!" He snorted and leant back against the wall, taking another bite out of the sitrus berry.

"Tyrix?" Spark's nose twitched. "I thought he was meant to be really old. But... you're not old."

"My grandfather founded this island," he explained. "The name was passed on to my father, then to me."

"I'm confused," said Faith. "You say Tyrix raised an army of fire Pokemon. As far as we're aware, that's your grandfather. Why would you be to blame for any massacre?"

Tyrix looked from each of them as he licked the juices off his claws. "You two," he pointed to Cleo and Spark, "are from the Sparkling Forest."

Cleo felt her eyes widen. "Yes. How did you know that?"

"Because the Wildfires trashed the place."

Cleo felt her heart hit her stomach and her paws balled into fists.

Tyrix looked over at Faith. "As for you... I believe they also trashed the Iron Canyon."

"I'm not from the Iron Canyon," she said flatly. "I'm from the Fairy Garden."

Tyrix's eyes widened and the berry he'd picked up fell into his lap and rolled onto the stale hay.

"Fairy Garden?" He blinked a few times and shook his head sharply. "Argh, that old tale. Pull the other one, Mawile! I know you're here for revenge."

"I am not here for revenge," she said. "We came here looking for a fire Pokemon who can help us stop the Wildfires."

Tyrix threw his head back and laughed, but it was soon cut off by a series of violent coughs. Cleo fanned her paws near her face to avoid breathing in the thick, black smoke that gushed from his mouth.

"The Wildfires?!" He covered his mouth and cleared his throat, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "You think I can stop them?!"

"I don't know," said Faith. "Do you?"

"In my condition? You've seen the state of me!"

Cleo's claws were digging into her pads. She unclenched them and looked up at the Typhlosion.

"Why do you think we're here for revenge?" she asked slowly. "When it wasn't you who burned down our home?"

Tyrix let out a single laugh and closed his eyes. "This place is called Fire Island. Haven't you put the pieces together yet?"

A metallic taste filled Cleo's mouth. She stared at the Typhlosion, waiting for him to elaborate. He seemed to take the hint as his face split into a bitter smirk.

"Years ago, fire Pokemon fled this island for the main land. They were sick of war, wanting to live peacefully with the other Pokemon. My grandfather's old tales stirred them, and they wanted peace. All but a group of nasty Houndour, one of which went by the name of Howlinger."

Cleo felt her jaw drop, but no words came out.

A loud exclamation from Spark cut into the sudden silence.

"You see, he's from here. We got the blame. I raised that foolish pup." Tyrix threw his large paws into the air. "His mother died when she had her litter. He was the only one that survived. A foolish little power-hungry canine with a sneer that could put other Pokemon off their berries. He wanted nothing more than to raise his own army and fight for the Darkness. He spat at the stories my grandfather told, and one day, he left this island. His howling army blazed through the forests on the main land as he took off for the Shadow Lands. And who got the blame?" Tyrix pointed a long claw at his chest. "I did. All because I raised that pup."

The room was silent for a moment. Cleo couldn't look at him. She seethed, her claws digging into her pads once more.

Finally, Faith's voice cut through the silence.

"It wasn't your fault."

Cleo flinched and silently kicked herself. Had she seriously been blaming this Typhlosion for a war that he hadn't even started?

"So you raised a Houndour," Faith went on. "One that didn't accept your morals. It's not remotely your fault! The damage he causes is his own doing."

"That's not how others see it." He turned his ruby eyes onto Faith. "I've had Pokemon come here looking for revenge. I can't even leave this place. Those cells you ended up in? Traps I had to set to save my own hide."

"Yes, and you let us out." Faith smiled. "You couldn't have hurt us if you wanted to, could you?"

Tyrix snorted and bit into another berry.

Cleo looked up at him. "Do you think you could take down the Wildfires, if you personally raised Howlinger?"

He closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. "I don't know, little Meowstic. You've seen me?"

Cleo grimaced and clenched her paws into fists. "I understand. Maybe your not the fire Pokemon Xerneas asked us to find." She turned away from him and marched to the door.

"Hang on."

Cleo looked back at the Typhlosion. He stared at her with a look of utter confusion, then looked down at Faith.

"You said you're from the Fairy Garden. And you said Xerneas sent you to find a fire Pokemon." He scratched his head as he looked at each of them. "Were the tales my grandfather used to tell me not really tales?"

Faith's face split into a jovial grin. "Of course they're not just tales!"

"Oh, wow!" He threw his paws into the air and let out a small laugh. "I'm not sure how to take this. I used to believe them as a hatchling, but after a while I thought they were just stories with good morals to get us to live good lives."

Cleo moved over to him, her eyes not leaving the Typhlosion. "Then why did you start an army?"

He fixed his ruby eyes on hers. "Do you even know what the fire warriors were?"

She blinked but said nothing.

"They were an army," Tyrix said slowly, "that was formed to help other Pokemon who needed it. My grandfather started it, and passed the torch down to my dad, who then passed it down to me. We went to the main land to help Pokemon who had fallen victim to the Darkness."

Faith clapped her paws together. "That sounds like a very noble deed!"

"Aye, it was! You see, back when the war first started, my grandfather was still young, so I don't remember it. But after I took over, it got much worse. Our help was gratefully accepted for many seasons... and then the Wildfires happened."

Cleo was silent, not looking at the Typhlosion. So this is where the Wildfires were from? Something so terrible was from a place that fought on the side of good?

"They sullied my name," Tyrix went on. "The Pokemon on the main land knew that they lived here, but they accepted the fact that not all dark and dragon type Pokemon are bad. Not all of them fight for the Darkness. But Howlinger led his army of Houndour across the land, burning down villages left and right, trying to gain favour with that blasted Hydreigon. Then, of course, the blame was pointed at me. Armies flocked to Fire Island with a grudge, trying to wipe us out. Those who had sense left, but I was the general. I was to blame." He let his paws fall into his lap and shook his head, laughing bitterly.

"That's why you stayed here," said Faith sadly.

He nodded. "Yup, that's why I stayed."

"And why you're voluntarily starving," said Cleo. She looked up at Tyrix and met his eyes. "Eat and get your strength back. You're beating Howlinger and his wretched army."

Tyrix snorted. "You think I can beat him?"

"You raised him," said Cleo. "You know his weaknesses."

Tyrix closed his eyes and chuckled. "Weaknesses?"

"He has them. We all do."

The Typhlosion was quiet for a moment, his eyes glazing over as he drifted into thought. After a long pause, he focused his eyes back onto Cleo. "Aye, that he does. He has a big one." He leant back against the wall and stared at her. "Can you guess what it is?"

"No," she said flatly.

"His ego." Tyrix shrugged. "He has too much of an ego. Let it get to his head. He wanted his entire army to be clones of himself, so he selected only the Houndour that met his criteria. They all had to have the same skills, the same attacks – long range fire, close range dark. Unfortunately for him that meant none of them could stand to be inside their own flames. Those that run through them get burned."

"That's why they leave a trail of fire!" Spark gasped.

"Exactly! They burn things as they run through them." Tyrix leant forward on his knees. "I, on the other hand, am completely able to stand inside their flames. Fire doesn't hurt me like it does them."

Cleo blinked at him in confusion. "What does that mean?"

"Oh, very simple, little Meowstic." Tyrix grinned widely. "Fire gives me strength."