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."