Cape City
What a day it had been. It had its ups and downs for Scar, mostly culminating in a major letdown in the manner in which Lord Auron chose to use Genevieve's information. It was disappointing to say the least, having such a fruitful expedition during the day in Thieves Forest end in the slumber of Cape City. By all accounts, they should be celebrating the end of a major thorn in the side of the Silver Tribe. But the fact of the matter is, as much as a nuisance the thieves were to them, the Gold Tribe eclipse any problems the thieves made. Today, they had a chance to crush that thorn forever. They did not take it. Auron chose not to take it.
Scar shook his head as he lay in bed, wondering what would happen the following day. As he saw it, there was nothing more to salvage from this day, only to hope that Lord Auron sought what was overall the best course, and as his loyal servant, he would follow that course. But what did it mean to take the best course? Did it mean the Gold Tribe were to be spared now for an even greater punishment much later? Or did it mean that the Gold Tribe were to be used as bait of some sort to deliver the main target, the Alpha Alliance Generals and their armies? Scar knew not, but the sooner he was to sleep, the sooner the next day's surprises would be revealed to him.
But as it turns out, sleep was not in his plans, at least not yet, as his door was forcefully open, causing Scar to sit up right away and prepare himself, lest it be someone intended on violence. But as it would have it, it was Genevieve.
"Genevieve? What are you do-"
"Scar! I am in need of your services. Entertain me with your mind, or make room in your bed. Let it be known, I have no intention of sleeping."
Scar gazed upon her as she shut the door. He titled his head, trying to figure out what was wrong, as something definitely was. She certainly wasn't her normal self: composed, tender, manipulative, and cunning. There was something terribly odd about her now. As she demanded Scar's 'services' from him, Scar thoughtfully pondered on which action he should take. On one hand, it was Genevieve, and whether in her presence for conversation, or other affairs, Scar would surely enjoy it. On the other hand, she didn't quite seem to be in her right mind now, and it may have been best for her to simply sleep it off or sort it out another, private way. What would probably have been the right thing to do is send her off about her business, and perhaps refer her to the infirmary.
But of course, the self-centered Scar wasn't interested in what was right, or what was best, but merely what benefited him the most. He walked over to the balcony of his room, closing the curtains so as to be certain not to be disturbed. "Yes, yes. Make yourself at home, my dear." He said to her, rubbing his hands together. "Now then, what shall we talk about, hmm?" He pondered, giving her a mischievous smile.
***
Plains of Valkaria
"I'll send a signal up," Wildfire said in response, lifting her arm and sending across a combo attack of hers, emitting a blue light bright enough for the Swift to probably see, but hopefully not bright enough for anyone else to notice. Zane nodded towards her, then addressed Blitzkrieg's question.
"Ah, that's right. You two are probably not familiar with everyone here." Zane began, though he noticed that Bloodthirster and Blitzkrieg may or may not have known each other. Zane gestured his arm to each Gold Tribe member for Bane and Blitzkrieg to meet. "This is TrueStriker, Wildfire, Speculum, Gallant, The Healer, Hoodhide, Dryad, The Prince of Light, and Guardia. There's also the Swift, who is another brother, off scouting, and there's..." Zane stopped at the Old Alakazam, unsure of what to call him, before the old Gold Tribe member interjected himself.
"You may call me the Keeper." He said to the two of them with a wrinkly smile.
"Right." Zane said. He continued. "Defender is another one of ours, one we're currently trying to locate. He's...had some problems of late. In fact, we've all been through a lot over these last few weeks. It's quite the story, in fact, if you're in the mood for it..."
Zane began to tell them the story of everything that had occurred since Liberty Forest, from the path to Poseida Village, to the battle and victory in Eternity City. He then told them about their exploits in the Thieves Forest, followed by the failed ambush, as well as the following battle in Albia. He mentioned specifically of the defeats of the Sentinels, as well as deaths of the other Gold Tribe members. Then he spoke of the Golden Catacombs, and the secrets they uncovered there. He tried to tell them every detail of the journey, from the Dark God they discovered about, to the two crystals, Gold and Silver, that existed. He even told them about Noctus Gamble, who was potentially the cause of all of this to begin with, emphasizing his last name Gamble, the same last name of Galleon Gamble, the former Order of Neoverse Emperor 100 years ago.
"...and that's our story. Now, we're heading to Cape City, to try to find the Gold Crystal to hopefully end all this misery, as well as trying to locate Defender, who had run off earlier."
Zane looked over the expressions of the two, but also at everyone else's. He imagined it wasn't the most comfortable tale to recollect to them. He sighed, looking up into the night sky, before looking around in the directions. To his back was the Thieves Forest, where who knows what occurs now. In front of him was the Korhal Mountains, the large behemoths that extended to the sky. As he looked left, he saw the path they had already traveled across, from Albia and beyond that, and as he looked to his right, he saw the path yet traveled, where Cape City was, and beyond that.
Suddenly, as he looked on to the east, he noticed what he believed to be a figure in the distance. He stood up, and took a few steps in that direction, narrowing his eyes, thereby confirming someone there.
"Ah! Look, I think there's the Swift in the distance!" He said to the others around the fire, giving them a smile, before looking back at the figure in the distance. He walk a bit more forward, deciding to greet the Swift there. He was still quite a distance away. Zane wondered why he had taken so long in the first place, and what, if anything, he had uncovered. Zane treaded along the grass softly as he walked closer and closer in that direction, still realizing how far he was away from then.
Then suddenly, his smile dropped, as he narrowed his eyes to confirm not one, but two figures in the distance. If one was the Swift, who was the other. However, as a moment passed again, he saw yet another figure. Judging by the distance they were moving, they were running. At quite an alarming speed too. He then saw as one of the figures apparently released an attack back at something behind them. Apparently, something was following them. The trees of the forest blocked his initial view, but as he got closer, he saw more clearly. There was what he believed to be an Eevee, a Pawniard, and a Tyrogue. Following not to close behind them were...
Ancients. Lots of them. At least a few dozen, and that was what he could see from that distance. They were being attacked! Zane quickly ran back to the others around the campfire.
"Ancients! They're in pursuit of a couple of Pokemon. Come on, we have to help!"