Treasure Town ~ Marketplace

[Virgil134]

Zane skid to a halt, barely avoiding a collision. He glared at Cabot for a moment in pure confusion. “Anywhere but here,” he seethed. “If you didn’t notice,” he waved a claw towards where the monster was, “it’s not safe! We have to go.”

Cabot gave Zane an incredulous look.

“What is wrong with you?!” the Cranidos snapped. “How can you just steal stuff from the Pokémon we’re supposed to save, get everyone in danger, and then try to run off afterwards like nothing happened?!”

 

[Equitial]

Zane turned to Ashwood, definitely not stolen property in his claws. “What did I do?”

"Come the fuck on, man."

 

[Tanuki]

“Stealing?” Zane balked. “How dare you? I’ll have you know, I’m doing them a favor!” Story straight, he just had to keep his story straight and this would all blow over. “I was testing their security system, which is very clearly flawed!”

Zane shook his head, incredulous. “This is my job, my profession! To have it insulted by near strangers, I don’t even have words.” He’d upset himself, at this point, temporarily forgetting this was all a complete lie. “Your world hate zangoose, too? It’s like I never left home.”

 

[RJR Basimilus]

"I don't hate Zangoose," Seyka offered from somewhere behind the group. "I don't hate security technicians either."

Seyka shook his head, shooting an apologetic glance. "But you did kind of drop the ball. Even experts make mistakes right?"

 

[Ambyssin]

There had been a commotion. A spike in auras in a way that made Necrozma's core rattle. However, rather than converge on all the auras, he opted to watch from the roof of the Dojo. There, he could only dig his claws in at what he saw. An honest-to-god Phantom trying to go after that oaf of a zangoose who'd thrown the poochyena at him for no reason. If he had any doubts after talking to Celeste, they were gone. World Ender was after this land. And it was sending Phantoms ahead of its arrival.

But then came something that shimmered through the haze the Phantom had made and the haze quickly faded away. Necrozma's core sparked. The pain he thought Truffle had healed was back. Gnawing at his brain prism. His arms trembled. His stubby legs quivered.

"... liiiiiiiiight..."

 

[Jedi Shulk]

“Zane!” Fay shouted at him to get his attention. “Why did you betray us? Why did you go into that store? Why?” Fay demanding answers to the questions.

 

[Tanuki]

Security technician, good. Zane would steal that. “There were unforeseen circumstances, I’ll admit,” he mumbled, clawing his chin thoughtfully. “However, I believe I have plenty to report to the business owner nonethe—”

Necrozma’s far off cry stole Zane’s attention. He clutched the box and card tighter, reminded why he’d done all this in the first place. Two offended, one box wasn’t enough. He grit his teeth. Too late. Far too late.

“I don’t have time for this!” he shouted. “I almost died. It’s late. I’m going to bed.” Despite what he said, he didn’t move an inch. He realized, on some level, that he’d put everyone else in just as much danger as himself. Of course, he had no way of knowing this monster would show up, but guilt glued his feet to the floor nonetheless.

He was gonna need a lot more boxes of candy.

 

[Tanuki]

“Zane!” Fay shouted at him to get his attention. “Why did you betray us? Why did you go into that store? Why?” Fay demanding answers to the questions.

Zane winced at the accusation. “L-like I said.” He felt less and less confident by the second. “Security technician.”

 

[Namohysip]

Smeargle rubbed her forehead. "Truffle," she said taking a slow and deep breath.

"Yes, Maple?" Truffle asked, landing and letting Owen dismount. The Charmander eyed the Smeargle--Maple, apparently--nervously. Something about her... Could he afford to get a read on her now?

"Take care of this." She gestured vaguely to them. "I'll return in the morning."

She fell backward and into the ground. A hole had opened up there, and she fell through it--and then she was gone, along with her blanket.

"Er, of course," Truffle said, though she had already left. "Ah, well, that's..." He looked toward the uproar with Zane in the center. "What exactly happened?"

...Oh, good, you're back. Is everyone alive? Diyem called.

 

[Ambyssin]

Necrozma watched the smeargle... fall into a portal? He brought his arms close to his chest. His shudders had grown so strong. "Liiight... liiight... need..."

Though he wanted to arrest that zangoose before it could cause any more problems, the pain was too much. He sank off the roof, clinked off the ground, and dragged himself back into the Dojo, muttering under his breath.

 

[Tanuki]

“I,” Zane started, glancing around the growing group around him. He mumbled, “Security technician,” under his breath while his eyes fell to the ground.

“An apology,” he finally admitted. “I wanted something to apologize to Dave with for throwing him.” The monster’s strike spited the healing, pain and fear returning with full strength. This time, however, it was a weight in his stomach instead of a blow to his chin.

“I didn’t know. That thing.” Gravity’s pull yanked at his shoulders. His posture fell with his gaze. “I’m sorry.”

 

[Jedi Shulk]

“There were unforeseen circumstances, I’ll admit,”

“Unforeseen consequences my ass!“ As Fay said that to Zane, Fay’s paws moved towards his ‘hairband‘ as Fay dubbed it.

 

[Namohysip]

"Now, now, let's not escalate things now that it's over," Truffle said, raising his wings to call everyone to attention. "It's been quite a night, and we still have a great deal to fight tomorrow, so let's not direct our energy toward each other."

Owen eyed Fay uncertainly. Whatever he was planning, it seemed unnecessary. "Hey, don't do anything rash," he said.

 

[Equitial]

Ashwood sighed. "Whatever. I'm going back to the dojo now. I was cooking a bunch of gummis before all this happened."

“Unforeseen consequences my ass!“ As Fay said that to Zane, Fay’s paws moved towards his ‘hairband‘ as Fay dubbed it.

"Yeah, it isn't worth it. What Owen and Truffle said. Why don't you come back to dojo with me for dinner?"

 

[Jedi Shulk]

Fay dropped his paws. “I'll head back to the dojo.” Fay answer the question.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Celeste lay were he had collapsed on the ground.

“Wait... Someone... Don’t just leave me here...”

 

[Jedi Shulk]

Fay pulled Celeste over his shoulder. ”I got you.” Fay carrying Celeste walked back to the dojo.

 

[Tanuki]

Zane saw the attempt and jumped in after two steps worth of dragging. "No, I'll take him," he offered. He wrangled her over his own shoulder as best he could with one arm. For the first time, he felt the weakness of his new body. The significant weight mattering whatsoever caught him by surprise.

The movement was already in motion, though. He could only heave as he brought Celeste up, his neck creaking under his weight. For one fleeting moment, he missed having broader shoulders. "C-comfy?" he managed between gasps. The heal, at least, had left him with an influx of stamina that gave him just enough energy to keep carrying Celeste despite the difficult start.

"Thanks for the help." His breath steadied somewhat while he found his gait. "And..." the exertion gave him a convenient excuse to take in a deep breath. "Sorry." Even with Celeste's face right next to his, he kept his eyes as far from contact as possible.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Celeste felt like he should still be mad. Really, he should still be mad... It’s hard to be mad at the person carrying your sorry ass back home for you, though. Especially when he seemed genuinely remorseful about it. He hadn’t even been mad at Celeste for trying to sell him out to Maple.

“It’s oka... Well. No. It’s not okay, but if you don’t do it again... We can move on. Consider yourself lucky in that regard... I was half-considering hauling you back skewered on my horn, and you’re only getting one second chance.”

 

[Namohysip]

Owen sighed, stepping along with the others. "Zane, you should probably stay in the dojo for now and lay low. I think we're going to have to figure out how to, uh, sort out the property damage and stuff... Not the building, just the, uh, shop, is what Diyem said happened."

Truffle was inspecting the building that had been cleaved in half, letting the others leave for the dojo.