Chapter 29
DeliriousAbsol
*Crazy Absol Noises*
Adamfics - I'm sorry to hear you didn't like the training session. I thought it was a lot of fun, but I understand training scenes aren't everyone's cup of tea. The part with Reshiram being KO'd by Mischief actually surprised me when I first wrote it! It was as if it just... wrote itself! Sorry the situation with Xerneas isn't as clear as you'd like. In this chapter, Faith actually elaborates on it more. As I was proof-reading I did wonder if this was the explanation you needed. Thanks for reading! =D I look forward to your reviews!
Chapter 29 - Rio's Plan
Tinker sat in silence, resting his head on his steepled paws as he took in everything Cleo and her friends had just told him. They all sat waiting for him to say something, the silence broken only by Spark munching on an apple.
Mischief hadn’t said a word since they’d arrived back at the cells. He sat slightly hunched, staring at the far wall. He was clearly unhappy to have been dragged from the Fairy Garden but, whether or not Tinker had noticed, he hadn’t questioned the whimsicott’s solemn demeanour. Cleo had avoided mentioning anything about Mischief wanting to stay behind. It wasn’t her place to say, and she wasn’t willing to put Mischief on the spot like that. Besides, Tinker’s reaction to their tale had been somewhat mixed at best.
Finally, Tinker looked up.
“I have to say, I honestly don’t know what to make of all this.”
Faith smiled. “Yes, I can imagine it’s a lot to take in.”
“The Fairy Garden?” he scoffed. “And you’re telling me this ‘fairy-type’ has been around for years?”
“As long as any other type,” said Faith.
“And Mega Evolution?”
“It’s been around since Yveltal’s fall,” Faith explained.
Tinker muttered something Cleo didn’t catch and pushed himself to his feet. “Well, I guess I’d better relay to you what’s been going on here while you lot were off frolicking amongst the flowers.”
“Hang on,” said Cleo. “Frolicking?”
Faith looked as equally as perplexed.
“Yes, frolicking,” said Tinker. “What else are you doing in that supposed garden? You’re certainly not out there fighting the Darkness, are you?”
“Actually we are,” said Faith. “Every day. We’re sent out in pairs or groups to help those who need it. That’s actually why I’m here, and I’ve voluntarily come alone!”
“Really? And what about when Cleo’s and Spark’s families were annihilated?” He waved a paw at the pair. “Where were you then?”
Faith stuttered. “I-”
“And what about all the pokemon here in New City? Families ripped apart, orphans without their parents. Everyone here has lost homes and loved ones in this chaos!” Faith was about to interrupt Tinker but he cut her off with a wave of his paw. “You say there are hundreds of you fairy-types in this Fairy Garden, but I’ve not met a single one since he showed up.” He nodded to Mischief, drawing a surprised glance from the whimsicott. “If that were truly the case then why haven’t you put an end to Hydreigon? You could easily invade the Shadow Lands and wipe out the lot!”
“It’s not as easy as that!” Faith gasped. “We can’t go in there, horns blaring, and wrecking havoc! We’d be annihilated ourselves!”
Tinker rolled his eyes and turned his back on her.
“Besides, there are pokemon there who need our help too!” Faith went on. “Those who work for Hydreigon are being misled. They need the chance to realise that!”
“Are you kidding me?!” Tinker rounded on her. “You’re letting innocent pokemon suffer because you want to help ‘rescue the Darkness’?!”
“No. I help all pokemon to find their way to Xerneas,” Faith explained. “I can’t deny that there are pokemon who work for Hydreigon who are inherently evil. But there are many there who, like Harlequin, both want and need help!”
“I can’t believe I’m hearing this,” Tinker muttered. He met the mawile’s eyes. “And this Xerneas? Where is he during all of this?”
“Out there,” said Faith. “Helping those who need it. He works through us, too.”
“Really?” Tinker scoffed. “After all I’ve seen and experienced, I find that very hard to believe.”
Faith sighed but she kept her eyes on the riolu’s. “It’s unfortunate, but your reaction isn’t exactly new to me. But despite how many times I see it, it still makes me sad.”
Tinker shrugged. “Then tough. Perhaps your little visit here is a waste of time, when you could be doing more important things than spouting nonsense?”
Faith shook her head slowly.
Tinker turned from them and waved a paw. “Follow me. I have something I need to show you.”
“No!”
Tinker stiffened and turned to face Mischief. The whimsicott was bristling, digging his claws into the wooden table.
“You can’t talk to her like that!” Mischief snapped. “You have no idea how much hard work Xerneas puts into training pokemon like Faith to come out here and help pokemon like us!”
“The state of the world gives me enough of an idea, Mischief.” Tinker narrowed his eyes in a warning glare. “You’ve seen it yourself.”
“Yes. It’s horrible, yet here we are. Fighting. Whether or not we want to.”
Tinker cast a glance over the table, noting Cleo’s fierce leer. “I’d say you’re starting fires rather than fighting, if I’m honest.”
“Not quite,” said Mischief. “We’re all fighting the same thing, even if we don’t see eye to eye. Doesn’t that mean something?”
“You’re speaking in riddles!”
“I think what he’s trying to say,” said Cleo slowly, “is that there’s a little hope in all of this.”
“And that hope has to come from somewhere!” Faith clapped her paws together and sat back on her stool. “I like it!”
“You’re reading between the lines!” Tinker barked.
“No, they’re right,” said Mischief. “That is what I was trying to say.”
“You’re letting them put words in your mouth!” Tinker waved a paw. “I’ve had enough of this. Are you coming with me or are we going to sit here arguing all day?”
Cleo balled her fists. “Oh we’re coming with you, but I’m seriously unimpressed with you right now, Tinker.”
“Then I’m afraid you’re about to become even more unimpressed.” He ushered them ahead of him out the door and it clicked shut behind him.
Cleo turned back to address the riolu but he zipped on ahead of them and paused by a grate in the wall. It was about face height for Cleo, and Tinker pulled it free with a hefty tug.
“After you.” He motioned for Cleo to enter. “You may need to wriggle. It’s not designed to let larger pokemon inside.”
Cleo clambered inside, dragging herself into a corridor that was wider than it was tall. “Where does this lead?”
“New City.”
Cleo snapped her head back as Tinker followed Faith into the tunnel. He tugged the grate back into place, confirmed by a sharp click that echoed through the tunnel.
“Really?” Cleo scoffed. “You have a tunnel leading from the cells straight to New City? That’s hardly secure, Tinker!”
“You once thought the sun badges were a security hazard, too, but we’ve had no problems yet.”
“I still think they are. They could be looted off any Guild members, and it wouldn’t exactly take a genius to put two and two together if they found one of our entry points.” Cleo stood, finding the ceiling wasn’t as low as she first thought. “But this? If one of the prisoners were to break free and find their way in here-”
“Already dealt with.” Tinker sidled past her and stopped a little way ahead of them. He dropped to a crouch and with one swift motion unlocked a stone slab hidden in the floor. It rotated to the side and vanished into the dirt floor. “Quick. Like the others, it’s on a timer.”
The group vanished inside and the slab slid back into place with another echoing click.
Cleo glanced back up at it and followed after Tinker. “Very nice, but it doesn’t solve the problem I’m worried about. Any escapee could raid a badge off one of the guards.”
“There are sensors along the tunnel,” Tinker explained. “If they detect any dark-, dragon- or ghost-type pokemon, they will alert New City while also causing the ceiling and floor to cave in, depositing our intruder onto a bed of steel spikes.”
Faith let out a gasp and clapped her paws over her mouth as she stared down at the floor.
“Yikes,” said Spark. “What if it malfunctioned?”
“Then I’d be in a lot of trouble,” said Tinker. “I use this tunnel quite frequently.”
“And what about ghost-types?” asked Cleo. “They could just melt through the spikes and slip away to safety.”
“Yeah, they can move through walls,” said Spark.
“You could say the same about any of our entrances,” said Tinker. “Ghost-types have always been a particular worry. But even if they were to come this way the alarm would still sound. They can turn invisible, but they can’t mask their presence completely. Guards would come running and deal with the intruder.”
Cleo still wasn’t convinced. She shot a glance back the way they’d come, then plodded along after Tinker. It grew darker the further they moved away from the cells, and Spark discharged to light the way. Even without that, Cleo felt Tinker wouldn’t need any light if he was familiar with this route. Spark’s light revealed it was straight and well maintained, with no forking off in any other direction. No one else said a word as they continued through the tunnel. Mischief’s paws dragged over the dry soil, making him sound a lot larger and heavier than he actually was. Faith gave him a reassuring smile, but it did little to placate the whimsicott.
After a while, Tinker stopped them again to remove another stone slab from the ceiling. This one lead into one of New City’s familiar tunnels, with roots curling over the ceiling. Torches hung from the walls lighting the way ahead. Tinker didn’t wait for them, moving on ahead through the winding tunnel. This part of New City was like a maze. More tunnels forked off in all directions, some going up towards the surface and others leading deeper underground. Cleo find herself thinking that if any of the Darkness did find their way through that link between the cells, they’d end up well and truly lost here.
Despite that, it didn’t take long before the tunnel opened up into New City’s bustling market place. They heard it before they saw it. Hatchlings raced across before them, causing Tinker to stumble and reach out a paw before he collided with a little pichu. The electric mouse apologised quickly before racing off after his oshawott friend.
Faith turned on the spot as she looked up at the ceiling in wonder. Huge, thick roots splayed across them, almost like an ornament. But the mawile’s face fell as she cast her gaze across the huge market.
“This is where you live?” she asked Tinker as she sidestepped a busy linoone. “Underground?”
“Yes, it’s provided a sanctuary from the Darkness,” Tinker answered without looking back at her. “It’s not perfect, but the pokemon here are safe, which is what counts.”
“So you have to hide…” Faith shook her head sadly and paused to watch a servine herd her twin children to a pastry stall. “This is heartbreaking. Pokemon shouldn’t live like this.”
Tinker tutted and took Faith’s arm, leading her away. “Come on. You can’t stand around here gawking all day.”
Faith obeyed, and Tinker released her, marching on ahead. Cleo caught up with the mawile who was still awestruck at the market. As much as Faith meant well, she was really starting to push Tinker’s buttons. Cleo placed a paw on the mawile’s back and steered her from the market towards the tunnel that lead to Tinker’s office.
When they reached the closed door, Cleo nodded to it.
“So what do you have to show us?” she asked. “Not another one of your mad inventions?”
“Yeah, I’m still reeling from that last one,” said Spark through a mouthful of pastry.
Cleo blinked at the dedenne. She hadn’t noticed her detour to the pastry stand.
“Not an invention, per se.” Tinker shoved the door open, which moved a lot more smoothly than Cleo expected. “But you’ll see soon enough.”
The first thing Cleo noticed was that his floor was clear of papers. Instead, they were laid in haphazard piles around the edges of the room. Skipper looked up from the desk and beamed at them.
“Ahh, ye back!” The marshtomp leaned back in his seat and it creaked beneath his weight. “Wondered where ye’d got to!”
“Yes, and I’ve brought guests.” Tinker stood aside for Cleo and her friends to enter the room.
“Cleo! Aye, I know these lot.” Skipper raised an eyebrow at Faith. “I dinnae ken this’n though.”
Faith looked to Cleo. “’Dinnae ken’?”
“Skipper isn’t from around here,” Tinker explained before Cleo had the chance. “He’s from an islet off the north-east coast. You’ve probably never heard of it? It’s a dry desert wasteland now.”
Faith’s face fell and she shuffled her paws together. “Oh… I’m so sorry.”
“Aye, don’ worry yeseln!” Skipper waved a flipper and laughed. “Was years ago! I were a wee egg at th’time, so I dinnae remember the auld place!”
A small chirrup came from the desk, drawing their attention to a plate of berries. A tiny swablu was perched on its rim, scrutinising each one of them with its tiny black eyes.
“Oh my!” Faith leapt towards the desk and scooped the swablu up in her arms. “A little hatchling! Well, aren’t you a cutie?”
The swablu chirruped and snuggled into her chest.
“Tinker?” Cleo took a couple of steps towards him, not taking her eyes off the baby bird. “Why is there a swablu in your office?”
The riolu rubbed a paw over the back of his head. “Ah. Yes. That’s what I wanted to show you.”
“This is the reason I’m going to be even more unimpressed?”
“Yes. How is that looking?”
Cleo shook her head and sighed. “You were right. It’s not looking good, Tinker.” She eyed the swablu gazing endearingly up at Faith. “How has the rest of New City reacted to you harbouring a potential dragon?”
“Not very well, I must say,” said Tinker.
“I can imagine.” Cleo turned to Tinker and hissed, “What are you thinking? This thing could doom us all!”
Tinker opened his mouth to retort, but Faith cut him off.
“Wait!” she said. “No, you’ve got this all wrong. This little one will become an altaria! Don’t you remember, Cleo? They were all over the Fairy Garden.”
“Fairy Garden?” Skipper rubbed his head with a flipper. “That’s an auld folk tale, aye?”
Faith fixed him with wide, violet eyes. “Oh, not at all!”
“You’re right, there were altaria there,” said Cleo. “But we also met Reshiram. What’s your point?”
“The altaria back home are very loyal to Xerneas,” Faith explained. “And what is striking is that you have one of their offspring right here!”
“Offspring?” Tinker scoffed. “I found that egg by the side of the river. Its parents had either died from the poison or fled and abandoned it.”
“I’m not saying it’s the child of one of our altaria,” Faith explained. “But there are zero altaria in the Shadow Lands. Not one. They’ve always been loyal to Xerneas and refused to conform to the Darkness. As far as I was aware, all altaria outside the Fairy Garden have vanished.”
“They vanished?” Tinker asked. “How? When?”
Faith shook her head. “I’ve no idea of the exact time, and after seeing this little one, I’m not even sure it’s true anymore. Rumour has it that they all fled to the Fairy Garden and those that didn’t make it were tracked down and killed for their rebellion.”
“So they were hunted and killed like the absol?” Spark asked. “Because if that’s the case, we’re aware of one that’s alive already.”
Faith nodded briskly. “That’s the one Xerneas wants Harlequin to find, isn’t it?”
Skipper turned his head between Cleo, Faith and Tinker. The riolu pinched the bridge of his muzzle, silently seething. After a moment, he regained himself and gestured to the swablu.
“Whatever the case, I found his egg by the river,” he said. “I was actually going to dispose of it, but then it hatched, solidifying my initial idea to keep a dragon among us.”
“And you wanted to raise it with your morals and ideals?” Faith asked with a smile.
Tinker blinked at her. “Actually, yes. That is exactly what I’d planned to do.”
“What? You wanted it to fight for us?” Cleo shook her head with exasperation. “I don’t know, Tinker. If he learns what he is, then what if he decides to turn against us?”
“Listen to me, Cleo,” said Faith. “That won’t happen. Altaria are loyal to Xerneas.”
“Perhaps those who have met him, or know about him, yes,” said Cleo. “But this swablu here is still a pokemon, just like we are.”
Spark cleared her throat. “And aren’t altaria like… I don’t know… weak to dragon-type attacks? Kind of defeats the object, really.”
“Then I’m about to surprise you!” Faith tickled the swablu with a claw, causing him to chirrup with delight. “Altaria have a mega evolution! It doesn’t just change their form, but their typing. They become part fairy, part dragon, making them immune to dragon-type attacks and more than capable of fighting against them!”
Tinker’s jaw went slack and he stared at Faith, aghast.
Skipper scratched his cheek with a claw. “I might need fillin’ in a bit ‘ere.”
“Look at that!” said Faith. “You have a potential fairy-type warrior among you and you never knew.” She lifted the swablu in both paws before her face. “What’s your name, little one?”
“We call him Starshine,” said Tinker.
Faith beamed at the riolu. “Because he shines a little hope into your life, am I right?”
Tinker stuttered, blushing slightly. “Well, you could say that.” He took Starshine gently and cradled him against his chest.
Cleo crossed her arms and smirked at Tinker. “You might come across as cold and bitter, but you’re showing your soft side.”
Faith and Spark both chuckled, causing Tinker to flush even more.
“Nonsense!” He set Starshine back beside the plate of berries. “I’m merely thinking about what’s best for New City.”
“Whilst fathering a hatchling,” said Cleo.
“Aye! Born dad, thissun,” said Skipper, causing Tinker to turn crimson beneath his blue fur. “Hey, Tink! He said his first word earlier, yanno! Didn’t ye, tyke?”
“He did?” Tinker asked a little too emphatically. He checked himself and looked back at the swablu. “He’ll evolve in no time then.”
“What was it?” Faith asked.
“Ask him.” Skipper stood up from his seat to look at Starshine over Tinker’s shoulder.
Starshine had returned to the plate of berries, and was eagerly pecking at an oran.
“Hey, tyke,” said Skipper. “What’ve ye got there, then?”
Starshine paused his meal and peered up at Skipper. “Berry.”
Tinker clapped a paw over his face while Spark burst out laughing.
“That’s my boy!” The dedenne almost doubled over with her paws on her tummy.
“Great,” said Tinker. “That’s another pokemon with the appetite of a steelix. What will become of our food store?”
“It’s about to get smaller!” said Spark. “’Cos we’re staying here tonight.”
Tinker looked up at Cleo and Faith. “Very well. Your usual room is already waiting for you. Perhaps Faith would like to share with you and Spark?”
“I’d be delighted!” said Faith.
“As for you.” Tinker turned to Mischief. “I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to stay in one of our cells.”
“Why?” Mischief asked. “I’m a Guild Member.”
“Probationary,” said Tinker. “I am still not certain where your loyalties lie. As such, I cannot leave you unattended.”
“Tinker,” Cleo warned.
Mischief waved a paw to cut her off. “If you’re so worried, then leave me with Cleo.”
“Unacceptable.” Tinker folded his paws. “Our guest quarters are strictly single sex. Your only option is a cell, I’m afraid.”
Mischief’s eyes narrowed. “This is because of my condition, isn’t it?”
A look of surprise crossed Tinker’s face, then he huffed. “When did you find out about that?”
Mischief clenched his fists, and Cleo feared for a moment that he was about to throw away his probationary status by pummelling Tinker into the floor. She stepped towards Mischief and placed a paw on his arm, but he didn’t relax.
“Tinker, Mischief has proved his loyalty more than once,” she said. “The least you can do is give him a room for the night?”
“Forget it.” Mischief didn’t take his eyes off Tinker. “He clearly doesn’t trust me, and I don’t blame him. I can just share a cell with Harlequin. I’m sure he won’t mind.”
The sarcasm was thick in his voice. Cleo caught Tinker’s eye and gave him a fierce glare that told him he had better sort this out, and fast.
Tinker let out a sigh and closed his eyes. “Very well. We can sort you out a room. But at the first sign of trouble, my good fellow, you are out of here. Is that clear?”
Mischief gave a single nod. “Crystal.”
“Now please leave.” Tinker waved them away. “I need to speak with Skipper privately. You are all dismissed.”
Mischief was first from the room. Cleo herded her friends out ahead of her and paused in the doorway. She turned back to Tinker and frowned.
“What on earth is wrong with you?” she hissed.
Tinker shooed her away. “Go! I have work to do.”
She shook her head with a flustered sigh and slammed the door behind her. Her friends were waiting just outside and Faith fixed a surprised look on the door.
“I am so sorry about him,” she said. “He should not have treated you both like that.”
Mischief replied with a miserable shrug.
Faith shook her head and gave a weak smile. “To be honest, I’m used to it. A surprising number of pokemon don’t react well to news of the Fairy Garden. I think they find it hard to believe, living in a world like this.”
“But it doesn’t give him the right to talk to you like that,” said Cleo. “Either of you.”
Mischief grunted and kicked at the floor. “Whatever. He’s never liked me.”
“That’s because he’s jealous,” said Spark a little too loudly.
“Jealous? Of what?” asked Mischief.
Spark ignored Cleo’s warning glare and raised her paws. “Because Cleo’s spending so much time with you now.”
“We work together,” said Mischief.
“Spark, he’s not jealous.” Cleo ushered her along the corridor and Spark went on ahead, walking backwards.
“Come on, Cleo!” she said. “He’s had a crush on you for years! Why can’t you just admit it?”
“Oh my!” Faith covered her mouth with a paw and chuckled. “I did not pick up on that!”
“That’s because it’s all in Spark’s head.” Cleo aimed a playful kick at the dedenne.
Spark scampered to the side laughing.
“Whatever the case,” said Faith, “he clearly cares about all of you and this city an awful lot.”
“You’re not angry with him?” Cleo asked her.
“Not at all,” said Faith. “If anything, I’m just a little sad for him. But he’ll come around eventually.”
Cleo gave the mawile a warm smile. She’d never met any pokemon like her before. To see beyond someone’s exterior to what truly lies beneath was a real talent.
“I think it’s about time we showed you around, Faith,” said Cleo. “Is there anything you’d like to see?”
“I’d love to see more of the market,” said Faith.
“How about the dining hall?” suggested Spark. “Because I’m starving.”
“It’s not dinner time yet,” said Cleo.
Spark threw her head back and groaned. “Fine. I’ll wait.”
...
Rio leafed through what he’d salvaged of his paperwork, desperate to find something he could actually work with. It was too caked with soot to be readable, and the edges were browned from the heat. With a heavy sigh, he tossed them into the trash with the rest of the damage.
The meowstic flopped back in his seat and glanced around at his office. Most of the damage had been repaired now, although the walls were still blackened. It wasn’t severe enough to need rebuilding, but all the shelves had burned to the point of being unusable, and many of them had broken free and splintered on the floor, spewing their contents into the raging flames.
Ruined.
Everything was ruined.
“Rio?” The voice was scratchy, as if the speaker desperately needed a drink.
Rio looked up at the sandslash in the doorway. “What is it, Razorclaw? I’m busy.”
“I just wanted to let you know Mint has arrived, and she’s not alone.” Despite the news, there was a hint of disappointment in his voice.
Before Rio could respond, a grovyle shoved past the sandslash and forced her way into the office. Behind her was a very nervous furret who twitched as she took in the office.
“Whoa!” A tiny sentret scampered past them and rose up on his tail for a better view. “There was a fire here?! So cool!”
Rio bristled, glaring at the hatchling. The tiny pokemon rotated on his tail, his nose twitching at the scent of burned wood still lingering in the air. His right ear was bent in the middle and flopped around with every movement.
The furret scooped up her son and muttered an apology, ducking behind Mint. The grovyle gave her a sympathetic smile, then rolled her eyes at Rio. Rio managed to get the message. This was it. This was the ‘help’ he’d requested.
Rio turned to address Razorclaw. “Any more news on the escapees?”
Razorclaw shook his head. “Sorry. We’ve lost most of them. It’s as if they’ve just vanished.”
Rio sighed and grabbed his chair, flopping heavily into it. “Fine. Call off the search. We’ll work with what few subjects we’ve managed to reclaim.”
Razorclaw nodded and ducked from the office, leaving Rio with Mint and the two new recruits.
Rio fixed his eyes on the furret, but his words were directed at Mint. “Are these two the only ones you could find?”
“Sandpaw is the best one for the job.” Mint hugged the ring binder she was carrying to her chest. “Her son, Scout, is a package deal. I’m not going to separate a mother from her hatchling.”
“I never expected you to,” said Rio.
“She’ll be perfect for caring for your test subjects,” Mint explained. “It’ll free up the rest of your staff to keep an eye out for any more trouble, right?”
Rio grunted, still staring at Sandpaw. “I actually wanted a small army.”
“I couldn’t get you an army,” said Mint, drawing his eye onto her. “I had to do this privately, and I didn’t trust anyone else. What, do you want me to reveal your research to another group of Heretics?”
Rio turned back to Sandpaw. “Do you and your… hatchling… swear to keep everything you see here secret?”
Sandpaw nodded briskly. “Of course we do!”
“There are secrets?!” Scout squeaked. “That is so! Cool!”
Rio bristled along his spine but maintained his cold, blank stare. “For now, you are both on probation. You are not to leave the clearing under any circumstances. Razorclaw!”
There was a brief pause and the sandslash poked his head around the door. “Yes boss?”
“Take Sandpaw and Scout to the staffroom and go over the details. I need to speak to Mint in private.”
Razorclaw complied, gently ushering Sandpaw from the office. Mint closed the door behind him, silencing Scout’s gleeful cries.
Rio sighed and rubbed his temples. “Really, Mint? A child? What were you thinking.”
“I was thinking ‘Rio needs any help he can get’ and recruited the only pokemon I trusted back there.” Mint dumped the folder on his desk. “Here. I think this will cheer you up.”
Rio flipped it open and his eyes widened. “This is the original pokerus research.” He looked up at Mint with a start. “You had this?”
“I wasn’t exactly gonna throw it away.” The grovyle perched on the edge of his desk. “We may have parted ways, but I kept it in case you needed it again.”
“You weren’t wrong.” Rio cast a mournful look at the bare, blackened walls then began flicking through the folder. “It’s fantastic. It’s all here. The first test subjects, the plans to start Project B… I have enough here to go off to build up a new research folder on the Pokerus Project. This is fantastic.”
Mint made a thoughtful noise. “How did you get on with Project B?”
Rio bit his lip, trying to stem the bitterness rising in him. But it was useless. “It was a success, but Project B was ruined.”
“Ruined? By the fire?”
“By Enigma.”
Rio flicked a page over with such violence it flew free from the binder. Mint stretched out her claws to pluck it from the air and set it neatly on his desk. The name had sent a chill through her though. Her scales had turned a pale green. She muttered under her breath, glancing around at the walls but not really seeing them.
Rio watched her for a moment as her eyes flitted left and right and her leaves began to tremble. She rubbed her claws along one arm, bringing herself back to reality.
“So… what exactly happened to your lab?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly. “You said a fire, but…”
“Absol,” Rio answered plainly as he returned to flicking through the file. “Released all my test subjects and destroyed the place.”
“Absol? But I thought they were all wiped out?”
“Apparently not.”
Mint shrugged weakly and rubbed her shoulder. “And you got back some of your test subjects?”
“A pawful,” he explained. “None of them are holding Type18, however. That throws a spanner in the works.”
Mint looked at him suddenly. “Type18?”
Rio returned her look with a plain one. That was right, he’d parted ways with Mint before the new type had appeared among his test subjects. He scratched his cheek with a claw and idly turned the pages of the folder.
“I obviously have a lot to explain to you, if you plan to stick around.”
Mint nodded. “I’ll stick around and help as long as you need me. Just… make sure to give me credit this time.”
Rio shrugged at that. “Fine. Credit given. On one condition.”
Mint’s jaw stiffened. “And what’s that?”
“You assist me in the next part of my plan. I need a new subject for my new project. Since Project B has been destroyed, time is of the essence to begin Project C. My first choice candidate has vanished, along with most of the subjects in my care, and none of those we’ve gathered are a suitable candidate for it at all. So… I need to trap a new one.”
“What, you want us to go out into the forest and catch random pokemon? Outcasts, Heretics, Darkness, no questions asked?”
“Not quite.” Rio paused and a small smirk appeared on his lips. “I have the perfect candidate in mind for this, and he should be very easy to lure back here.”
“Not the absol?” Mint’s voice wavered.
“No, but wouldn’t that be sweet revenge?” Rio sat back in his seat and examined his claws. “I’m talking about Enigma.”
Mint yelped and slipped from the desk, landing in a heap against the wall. She fixed Rio with wide eyes, trembling from head to tail.
“Are you insane?!” she squeaked. “Enigma?! That’s suicide, Rio!”
“He’d hardly be any harm locked behind bars.”
“You can’t lock up a ghost!”
“Or can you?” Rio looked back into her frantic eyes. “He might be able to slip through solid matter, but how about an element? Say… electricity?”
Mint’s mouth opened but no words came out. Her eyes turned less frantic and she pushed herself back from the wall. “You really want to catch him and infect him? Isn’t he deadly enough?”
“He’s just another pokemon like we are,” said Rio. “And after what he’s done to me, I want my revenge. Not to mention he’d be the perfect candidate to drop back into the Shadow Lands since Boomer is no longer a part of the equation.”
Mint scoffed and pushed herself back to her feet, still trembling. “I don’t know, Rio. I think you might have lost it.”
“All I’ve lost, Mint, is years of research.”
Mint grabbed his chair and turned it so he was facing her. She placed her paws on his shoulders, her expression pleading.
“Think about what you are suggesting, Rio,” she said quietly. “You are actually considering bringing that assassin in here and turning him into a test subject. If your plan fails… then what?”
“Then we all die,” he scoffed. “Besides, it won’t fail.”
Mint tightened her claws in his ruff, keeping her eyes on his. Her mouth opened slightly, but if she had anything to say it wasn’t voiced.
Rio took one of her paws and prised it from his fur. “We both want Hydreigon gone. If this might even have a chance of working, isn’t it worth it?”
Mint was silent for a moment, then she closed her eyes and sighed. “I suppose.” She grimaced and released him, pushing herself back. “Fine. What’s your plan? How are we going to catch him?”
“We can do it.”
The pair turned towards the window. A midday lycanroc stood with her paws on the windowsill. Her midnight brother was just behind her, his tongue lolling from his mouth.
“Enigma killed B,” said Roxy, flashing her canines. “If anyone’s gonna catch that ghost and give him what for, it’s gonna be us. Right, Lou?”
Lou bared his teeth and let out a low growl, his crimson eyes flashing.
Rio stared at them for a moment as he mulled over this. He hadn’t expected anyone to just come forwards and offer. Perhaps hiring these two idiots was about to turn in his favour?
“Very well,” he said. “If you can hunt him down and bring him back here, then there is a large reward in your future.”
Roxy grinned. “Then we’ll do it.”
She slipped from the window, and Rio leapt to his feet. “Take some tranquilisers with you!”
“Roger!”
Rio fell back into his seat with a sigh. He rubbed his temples again and leant forwards on his desk.
“You trust them to do this?” Mint asked. “They don’t seem very competent.”
“Their foolishness might actually help them to succeed in this task,” said Rio, more to reassure himself than Mint. “Besides, if they can handle Project B, I think they can handle one little ghost.”
