Sparkfire
Bug Catcher
- Pronouns
- he/his
Felix chewed the end of his feather. “Master Arboros? Yes, he’s here, mistress. An’ he’s got an interest in them, too.”
“This is troubling. Not even us Marauders would dare oppose a Magic Master. Even if we were to succeed… Master Alisio would have our heads.”
The Kricketune nodded. “Aye. As long as they’re in his graces…”
“We’ll just have to lure them out then, Felix. And the escapee?”
“He’s of no consequence, m’lady. I have the best officers scouring the streets for ‘im.”
“So you say.”
Felix flipped over a few papers, sliding them towards his visitor. “ I know you don’t respect the forces I have on hand, but with the rest o’ our band dead…”
“I have no choice but to trust that you’ll complete the job.”
“And I shall, Yer Roguishness… I shall.”
“Good.”
The Kricketune took the papers back, noting the signatures. “Thanks for helpin’ this look official, Yer Roguishness.”
“Well, I can’t exactly have my favourite sheriff stripped of his role now, can I? Your position is most important to our cause.”
Felix put the papers into his cabinet, keeping an eye on his prisoners. “ Ye best be leaving now, b’fore they learn you survived.”
“And go where, Felix? Chesnaught has already left to check up on Kecleon. And I doubt it’d be a very good idea to stay with the merchant.”
He grunted. “Good point. But it’s hardly safe to be around Pokemon who are capable o’ killing you.”
Smeargle laughed. “Substitute saved my life once, Felix, and it will do so again when the time arises. Don’t worry about me, Felix.”
He growled. “As you wish, Yer Roguishness. At least try to keep a low profile.”
“You know that’s not my style.”
“News o’ the genocide’s spread already, Yer Roguishness. The townsfolk might try to… kill you.”
“And they'll fail. Just like Lucario did. I’m tougher than anyone alive, after all.”
“Tat’s the kind o’ talk that got ‘em all killed, Yer Roguishness.”
Smeargle glared back at the bug. “So they were weaklings. Once we exact our revenge, we’ll rebuild the Marauders. Stronger than before.”
“An’ I suppose you’ve a plan for that?”
Smeargle chuckled loudly. “Of course I do, Felix. Now go worry about the revenge., and let me take care of rebuilding. Or… would you rather end up like them?” She grinned evilly, pointing her tail at the prisoners on the wall.
“N-No, Yer Roguishness. I’ll leave immediately.”
“Good. Return only when they are defeated. We cannot risk losing everything again.”
Felix nodded, and shuffled out. Defeat the Jolteon, eh…? He’d have to think about how to get to her. If she was indeed under Master Arboros’ protection, she’d need to be lured out… But how was he to do so? If Jolteon was already onto him as a result of his ill-fated attempt in the prison, she’d likely be on her guard.
A few drops of water echoed along the hallway, soon drowned out by Felix’s footsteps. He shambled along, stopping at the Buizel’s old cell to begin repairing it. “Can’t believe he broke these bars…” he grumbled. “He’s gonna pay for this big time.”
I winced as Master Arboros’ door slammed behind us. The Shaymin retracted his vine and excitedly flew around. I tried to catch him a couple times, but… he was simply too fast. Deciding that he’d calm down when he was ready, I instead took in the office decorations.
Most notably was the simply absurd amount of small potted bushes. I could understand one, or two --Lex really liked them around the Bluff-- but here there were simply too many to count. I saw some Oran Bushes, some Flirn Bushes, Pecha, Hustle, Brange… And there were more still that even I didn’t recognize. I blinked a few times. Why so many plants? How does he get anything done with this many plants?
“Alright, Jolty! Let me explain why you’re here!” Arboros shouted, perching on the tree in the corner. “You say you know that Buizel?”
“I do. For some reason… I’ve never met him before.”
Arboros beamed. “Well, then you must’ve seen him in your dreams, right?”
I was taken aback a bit. “H-How did y--?”
“My friends told me! Good friends! They told me all about you!”
Friends? My heels were instantly shackled. Was they stalking me? If so, for what reason?
“Oh, Jolty, please calm down! They aren’t malicious!” Arboros beamed again. “They’re just knowledgeable!”
“Riiight… Knowledgeable’s not the word I’d use for stalkers, Master.”
“They aren’t stalking! Well… not both of them, anyways… That’d be creepy! They just happen to know about your heritage!”
“And what about it? I know I’m the first in eight generations to not be a Flareon.”
The Shaymin started to snicker at that. “Not that heritage, silly! Your Seer heritage!”
I blinked a few times, not believing what he was saying. How in the Voidlands was I of all Pokemon a Seer? I didn’t come from any fancy home, nor a rich family… I hailed from a small island off the coast of Grasanio. Certainly not a place any Seer would hail from.
I blinked a few more times. As far as I recall, there was never a Seer in my family tree. At least, not directly. There was Great-Great Uncle Hermes. I’d never met him, of course, but the stories were endless.
“That’s impossible, Master.”
He grinned, and leapt down. “Nope! Not impossible! You’re a Seer! It’s easy for me to tell; you’ve got green eyes!”
“My eyes have nothing to do with this! I know green eyes are rare, but Seer? That’s a stretch!”
“Not just rare, Jolty! Only Seers have green eyes! Something about them being able to see through the fabrics of time and space… Or so a Seer friend of mine explained!”
“No. I don’t believe that.”
“Well, Jolty… Let me ask, then! Have you had any other dreams that seem to have come true recently? You can be honest with me!”
I paused. Other dreams? “Well… come to think of it… There were two. Both involving you, Master Arboros. Although they haven’t exactly played out the same as the dreams said they would…”
The Shaymin beamed at me again. “And they won’t, because you’re only now learning about your heritage! Just like any skill, mastering Sight takes time! If you wanna hone your gift, and I think you should, then I can point you in the right direction!”
I remained silent for a bit. Sure, the coincidences he pointed out did seem a little odd. And how else would I have recognized the abnormally tall Buizel? But being a Seer? No way. These dreams were just… prophetic dreams… right?
"Occhio Omani Outlook, huh? Are you sure that's a good idea, Master Arboros?" I asked, stepping out the door.
"Of course I'm sure! It'll be a good experience for you, and it's totally worth it!" Arboros yipped, launching into the air with excitement. I rolled my eyes. Somehow, it was hard to believe he was one of the most knowledgeable Pokemon to ever live, what with his inability to sit still.
“But what about Lex? As much as I’d like to go and train my gift… I can’t simply up and leave my partner. Not when he’s so… unstable.” My ears twitched.
“Don’t worry about it! I’m sure since you’ll be leaving voluntarily, and you’re not being stolen away from him, he’ll be fine!” Arboros beamed, perching in my fur.
I yelped. “Don’t land on me! I’m not a perch!”
He snickered, and took off again. “But it’s fun!”
“Fun or not… I’m still a living creature!” I retorted, albeit more playfully than I intended. I shrugged. He’d assured me Lex was in good hands. Surely then, I could afford to relax a bit? And maybe… even play like I was a kid again?
“That’s the spirit, Spark!” Arboros’ eyes gleamed. “Don’t worry about Lex! When you’re gone, I’m sure Aurora will help him out!”
Yes… she would, wouldn’t she? So why worry? I smiled, growling playfully.
“Yay!” The Shaymin looped in the air. “Catch me if you can!” And with that, he was nothing more than a red blur, zooming away. Grinning, I gave chase to him.
“This is troubling. Not even us Marauders would dare oppose a Magic Master. Even if we were to succeed… Master Alisio would have our heads.”
The Kricketune nodded. “Aye. As long as they’re in his graces…”
“We’ll just have to lure them out then, Felix. And the escapee?”
“He’s of no consequence, m’lady. I have the best officers scouring the streets for ‘im.”
“So you say.”
Felix flipped over a few papers, sliding them towards his visitor. “ I know you don’t respect the forces I have on hand, but with the rest o’ our band dead…”
“I have no choice but to trust that you’ll complete the job.”
“And I shall, Yer Roguishness… I shall.”
“Good.”
The Kricketune took the papers back, noting the signatures. “Thanks for helpin’ this look official, Yer Roguishness.”
“Well, I can’t exactly have my favourite sheriff stripped of his role now, can I? Your position is most important to our cause.”
Felix put the papers into his cabinet, keeping an eye on his prisoners. “ Ye best be leaving now, b’fore they learn you survived.”
“And go where, Felix? Chesnaught has already left to check up on Kecleon. And I doubt it’d be a very good idea to stay with the merchant.”
He grunted. “Good point. But it’s hardly safe to be around Pokemon who are capable o’ killing you.”
Smeargle laughed. “Substitute saved my life once, Felix, and it will do so again when the time arises. Don’t worry about me, Felix.”
He growled. “As you wish, Yer Roguishness. At least try to keep a low profile.”
“You know that’s not my style.”
“News o’ the genocide’s spread already, Yer Roguishness. The townsfolk might try to… kill you.”
“And they'll fail. Just like Lucario did. I’m tougher than anyone alive, after all.”
“Tat’s the kind o’ talk that got ‘em all killed, Yer Roguishness.”
Smeargle glared back at the bug. “So they were weaklings. Once we exact our revenge, we’ll rebuild the Marauders. Stronger than before.”
“An’ I suppose you’ve a plan for that?”
Smeargle chuckled loudly. “Of course I do, Felix. Now go worry about the revenge., and let me take care of rebuilding. Or… would you rather end up like them?” She grinned evilly, pointing her tail at the prisoners on the wall.
“N-No, Yer Roguishness. I’ll leave immediately.”
“Good. Return only when they are defeated. We cannot risk losing everything again.”
Felix nodded, and shuffled out. Defeat the Jolteon, eh…? He’d have to think about how to get to her. If she was indeed under Master Arboros’ protection, she’d need to be lured out… But how was he to do so? If Jolteon was already onto him as a result of his ill-fated attempt in the prison, she’d likely be on her guard.
A few drops of water echoed along the hallway, soon drowned out by Felix’s footsteps. He shambled along, stopping at the Buizel’s old cell to begin repairing it. “Can’t believe he broke these bars…” he grumbled. “He’s gonna pay for this big time.”
I winced as Master Arboros’ door slammed behind us. The Shaymin retracted his vine and excitedly flew around. I tried to catch him a couple times, but… he was simply too fast. Deciding that he’d calm down when he was ready, I instead took in the office decorations.
Most notably was the simply absurd amount of small potted bushes. I could understand one, or two --Lex really liked them around the Bluff-- but here there were simply too many to count. I saw some Oran Bushes, some Flirn Bushes, Pecha, Hustle, Brange… And there were more still that even I didn’t recognize. I blinked a few times. Why so many plants? How does he get anything done with this many plants?
“Alright, Jolty! Let me explain why you’re here!” Arboros shouted, perching on the tree in the corner. “You say you know that Buizel?”
“I do. For some reason… I’ve never met him before.”
Arboros beamed. “Well, then you must’ve seen him in your dreams, right?”
I was taken aback a bit. “H-How did y--?”
“My friends told me! Good friends! They told me all about you!”
Friends? My heels were instantly shackled. Was they stalking me? If so, for what reason?
“Oh, Jolty, please calm down! They aren’t malicious!” Arboros beamed again. “They’re just knowledgeable!”
“Riiight… Knowledgeable’s not the word I’d use for stalkers, Master.”
“They aren’t stalking! Well… not both of them, anyways… That’d be creepy! They just happen to know about your heritage!”
“And what about it? I know I’m the first in eight generations to not be a Flareon.”
The Shaymin started to snicker at that. “Not that heritage, silly! Your Seer heritage!”
I blinked a few times, not believing what he was saying. How in the Voidlands was I of all Pokemon a Seer? I didn’t come from any fancy home, nor a rich family… I hailed from a small island off the coast of Grasanio. Certainly not a place any Seer would hail from.
I blinked a few more times. As far as I recall, there was never a Seer in my family tree. At least, not directly. There was Great-Great Uncle Hermes. I’d never met him, of course, but the stories were endless.
“That’s impossible, Master.”
He grinned, and leapt down. “Nope! Not impossible! You’re a Seer! It’s easy for me to tell; you’ve got green eyes!”
“My eyes have nothing to do with this! I know green eyes are rare, but Seer? That’s a stretch!”
“Not just rare, Jolty! Only Seers have green eyes! Something about them being able to see through the fabrics of time and space… Or so a Seer friend of mine explained!”
“No. I don’t believe that.”
“Well, Jolty… Let me ask, then! Have you had any other dreams that seem to have come true recently? You can be honest with me!”
I paused. Other dreams? “Well… come to think of it… There were two. Both involving you, Master Arboros. Although they haven’t exactly played out the same as the dreams said they would…”
The Shaymin beamed at me again. “And they won’t, because you’re only now learning about your heritage! Just like any skill, mastering Sight takes time! If you wanna hone your gift, and I think you should, then I can point you in the right direction!”
I remained silent for a bit. Sure, the coincidences he pointed out did seem a little odd. And how else would I have recognized the abnormally tall Buizel? But being a Seer? No way. These dreams were just… prophetic dreams… right?
"Occhio Omani Outlook, huh? Are you sure that's a good idea, Master Arboros?" I asked, stepping out the door.
"Of course I'm sure! It'll be a good experience for you, and it's totally worth it!" Arboros yipped, launching into the air with excitement. I rolled my eyes. Somehow, it was hard to believe he was one of the most knowledgeable Pokemon to ever live, what with his inability to sit still.
“But what about Lex? As much as I’d like to go and train my gift… I can’t simply up and leave my partner. Not when he’s so… unstable.” My ears twitched.
“Don’t worry about it! I’m sure since you’ll be leaving voluntarily, and you’re not being stolen away from him, he’ll be fine!” Arboros beamed, perching in my fur.
I yelped. “Don’t land on me! I’m not a perch!”
He snickered, and took off again. “But it’s fun!”
“Fun or not… I’m still a living creature!” I retorted, albeit more playfully than I intended. I shrugged. He’d assured me Lex was in good hands. Surely then, I could afford to relax a bit? And maybe… even play like I was a kid again?
“That’s the spirit, Spark!” Arboros’ eyes gleamed. “Don’t worry about Lex! When you’re gone, I’m sure Aurora will help him out!”
Yes… she would, wouldn’t she? So why worry? I smiled, growling playfully.
“Yay!” The Shaymin looped in the air. “Catch me if you can!” And with that, he was nothing more than a red blur, zooming away. Grinning, I gave chase to him.