Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Heroes of the Past

Artemis, alone again, rapped on the side door of the Depot with an ice-covered tail. There was no response for a short time, so she knocked again, a little louder. This time, the muffled voice of the elderly Kangaskhan sounded out, likely hobbling her way toward the door.

So, Artemis waited. Her tails twitched on the gravel path, thumping one after another. Despite there not being anything wrong, her senses were still on high alert. That feeling of something lurking just around the corner had her on edge. She did her best to counter it, casting her gaze toward the blues, oranges, and purples of the sunset—focusing on the warm breeze rolling off the ocean. The peaceful sounds of Pokémon finishing up their days, heading home, of civilization still going. It helped.

The side door to the depot swung inward, revealing a rather grumpy looking Kangaskhan. Her expression immediately brightened, cloudy eyes closed in a beaming smile.

“Artemis! You came just in time, there’s a pot of tea ready.” Kangaskhan glanced to the side, searching. “Is Silvally with you?”

“Hey, Miss K,” Artemis replied. “No, he’s been, uh, forcibly volunteered by Lucario’s kid to hang out at the beach.” She laughed, recalling just how excited Aurum was to drag Silvally along. Silvally had been doing his best to clutch several new books in his talons and jaws, while trying not to fall behind Aurum and yank the kid off his feet.

“Oh, that boy is going to grow up a menace.” Kangaskhan stepped back, encouraging Artemis inside. “Every day I thank Arceus he isn’t in the guild. He might end up just as bad as you!”

Artemis scoffed, stepping past the older Pokémon. “I wasn’t that bad. There were only a couple-”

“Remember the fire?” Kangaskhan asked.

“... In the Market?” Artemis asked sheepishly.

“The hospital.”

“Wh- look! That one wasn’t my fault, I-”

“How about the ice wall blocking the road out of Treasure Town?” Kangaskhan flashed Artemis a grin.

“Okay, Team Dusk were trying to take my jobs! I just wanted to stop them from-”

“How about the iceberg in the harbour?” Kangaskhan interrupted.

“...” Artemis’s cheeks darkened, and her ears folded back.

“Or the time you set Apple Woods on fire because the Guildmaster scolded you?”

“You made that one up,” Artemis protested.

“Oh? Is that right?” Kangaskhan leaned in, a smirk on her face.

“... It was only a grove of Perfect Apple trees,” Artemis grumbled.

Kangaskhan laughed, brushed by Artemis and hobbled forward. The fox retaliated with a gentle swat of her tail, brushing over the elderly Pokémon without any real heat to it. Artemis followed behind her with a huff of steam, mumbling something about Kangaskhan being too old to deserve a proper smack to the head.

The duo walked along, exiting the little outpost that acted as the store front, and stepped into the Depot proper. Rows upon rows of storage containers, wooden crates, and carefully labeled shelving towered over them. Artemis fully believed that she would get lost in here trying to find anything, despite the labels—this place was maze-like. Artemis also fully believed that Kangaskhan could walk this place blind, and still find everything she was looking for.

Finally, they came upon the house in the center of the Depot, a squat little shack that had definitely seen some years of use. Artemis beat Kangaskhan to the door and held it open for her, much to the visible annoyance of the older Pokémon.

“I’m not that old,” she muttered. Artemis replied with a wry chuckle and closed the door behind her.

The pair settled around the table, and Artemis allowed the older woman her brief moment of hospitality by letting her pour the first drinks. Once they were both seated, they engaged in idle chit-chat and chatter, the likes of which caused Artemis an immense amount of discomfort.

“How have you been?”

“Good. Busy, working a lot.” I’ve also been dealing with a traumatized Pokémon who’s surprisingly peaceful for what he went through. A decent amount of it is my fault too, but that’s not something I can just bring up and talk to someone about.

“Find anything exciting out on your explorations?”

“Nothing, just the same boring Mystery Dungeons. Though there was that Grimer kid who was a whole thing to deal with. His dad was an odd one too.” Absolutely nothing at all. I'm still doing these fetch quests and am contributing nothing to society as a whole. I hate it. I can’t do more though, I have other responsibilities, and have to take care of the Pokémon I fucked up first. And I don’t even know if I’m doing that right!

“Are your friends up to anything?”

“Leafeon asked us to help him with a job tomorrow. Mew is still away, though I think she’ll be showing up soon.” And thank Arceus for that. I need to talk to someone about everything that happened. But, it’s either confidential, or so fucked up that I can’t bring it up. Also, what friends? I guess you and Leafeon count? Maybe that Zangoose, but I don’t even know her name. I just see her and we sometimes talk about fur stuff. Not that anyone wants to socialize in the first place—work takes priority and I made that very clear.

“... And how is Silvally doing?” Kangaskhan's tone changed a little.

“He’s doing better than expected. Reading and learning a lot. He’s adapting well to everything.” Not that he has a choice. His whole thing seems to be adapting- Wait, she said it like that because I didn’t talk about Silvally when she mentioned ‘friends’. I mean, he’s not my friend. I’m pretty sure he still hates me, and he's still terrified of me. We’re... What? Unwilling work partners? I guess I could be paired with worse Pokémon—he keeps up and pulls his weight, which is better than most I’ve worked with.

“Oh, yes, right!” Kangaskhan gained a burst of energy, snapping Artemis from her thoughts. “I was looking for that bag I promised him. It seems to have wandered off... Again.” She got to her feet and kept hold of her cup, hobbling her way toward the door. “Would you mind helping me find it? I’ve been meaning to give it to you two for a while now, but never had the time.” She paused for a moment, then added, “Or you two are running around faster than I can keep up.”

“Of course.” Artemis stood with a flourish of tails, forming a little psychic disc beneath her cup. She padded over to Kangaskhan and held open the door, allowing the Depot owner to toddle through the doors. Artemis slipped through the door after her, falling into step alongside her. “So, what exactly are we looking for?”

“It’s a small brown bag,” Kangaskhan explained. “Kind of like your Exploration Bag, dear. It’s just much smaller... Maybe that’s why it gets lost...” she grumbled. “It’s a touch on the older side—I grew up with it, after all!”

Artemis flashed Kangaskhan a smile, and nodded. She wasn’t smiling inside—a small satchel like that, lost in this obscenely large area? It would take days of actual searching if it was hidden in some random pile of items. To hide her true thoughts, Artemis gulped down the last of her tea—sure, it was good, but it wasn’t coffee—and floated the cup over to sit on the porch.

The duo wandered around the Depot for a bit, Artemis following along beside the older Pokémon. Kangaskhan seemed to know her way around despite being near-blind. She’d run her digits over a pile of items, feeling along the various objects, before shaking her head and moving on. Was that how she found everything in here?

“This might take a while, dear.” Kangaskhan stepped away from another series of boxes and leaned down to look at Artemis. “Why don’t you check along the edge of the fence? If J-” she cut herself off, and pursed her lips. “I think it should be in one of the corners.”

Artemis wanted to ask, she really did, but she was certain Kangaskhan knew who did it. She might be nearly blind, but she was pretty sharp, and could put two and two together. Junior’s hatred wasn’t exactly difficult to notice...

“Alright, just call if you need me,” Artemis replied, walking ahead. She glanced over her shoulder as Kangaskhan gave her a little wave, then faced forward.

Logically, it would make sense to check along the fence line, just to clear entire swaths of the area at once. Junior knew his mother was older, so if he really wanted to make it hard to find, it would likely be somewhere far away. In a spot she wouldn’t normally check, like on the ground along the fence, or tucked in a nondescript bundle of rocks.

Artemis weaved her way through the stacks of shelving and piles of materials, glancing at them occasionally. Nothing extremely valuable or important was out in the open, those seemed to be inside of crates and boxes. The more generic items like scarves and bands were all out and visible.

She used the setting sun to orient herself, and stumbled upon the metal fence after what felt like entirely too long. Idly, she glanced upward, and narrowed her eyes at the sky. It didn’t exactly look or feel like a Mystery Dungeon, but Artemis swore that this place was so much bigger than it realistically could be.

Her walk down the fence was interrupted when that forgotten feeling of dread washed over her. An unfamiliar pressure that sent a chill down her spine, all nine tails twitching erratically. It took a second for her to shake it off, and Artemis growled beneath her breath.

“Who the fuck was that?!” she asked, not quite as loud as she intended. There was still no response to her almost-yell. The sensation didn’t fade, and kept a constant chill sensation in her blood that ice couldn’t hope to match.

Artemis growled again, louder this time, her tails whipping angrily. Her body started to heat up, and the ever-growing and melting ice crystals in her fur evaporated. She was getting tired of this feeling interrupting her otherwise peaceful and calm moments. She had enough to worry about and stress over, and whoever was messing with the town was going to regret it.

Still, she was alone with Kangaskhan right now, and they had limited time to gather the bag she’d been trying to gift Silvally for a while. At least, she was sure they were alone. It’s not exactly like anyone else had access to or free reign of the Depot. Other than Junior of course.

That was her thought process at least, until she noticed something along the fence. The thick steel bars that blocked off the Depot had been... melted? It was difficult to tell because of the smooth ends, but two of the bars were removed just below the horizontal brace, leaving a small opening. It was in an area of the Depot behind a rather large container, and in a very tight space. The only reason she squeezed her way in here was just to make sure the bag hadn’t been tucked behind the massive wooden crate.

Artemis paused, immediately investigating, her mind clicking into place in an instant. There were very clear claw marks digging into the soil. The back of the wooden container looked like charcoal. It’d been burned so fast it couldn’t even catch fire—she knew a thing or two about that.

The bottom of the horizontal bar had two rather distinctive marks spaced a decent length apart. They looked like wear marks—whoever or whatever this was, they’d been doing this for a while. It was larger than something Artemis would need, and she cleared the bars without rubbing against them.

So, it was a fire-type of some kind. At least, that was assuming it was only one Pokémon. Artemis glanced down at the paw and claw marks in the ground, and nodded. It was definitely a single Pokémon. Slightly larger than her, given by the bumps against the metal and the larger paw-prints.

Just to be certain, Artemis backtracked, working her way around the large wooden crate. She was looking for anything: fur caught on a nail; different claw marks; a strange smell lingering. She jumped onto the container, looking for something that would show a Pokémon leapt over the tall fence, or landed on the wooden storage box.

Still nothing.

Artemis started to run through the list of possibilities, all the Pokémon she’d ever encountered or even heard of running through her mind. Comparing each one to her physicality, and the markings shown.

Arcanine was immediately out, the species as a whole was far too tall, and there would have been fur snagged on the fencing.

Quilava? No, the flames on their back would have warped the metal bars above the entrance. The breach into the Depot was clean, and showed no signs of heating above the horizontal brace.

A Turtonator might explain the markings left on the metal, but it'd have to be in the center. That's even if a Pokémon like that could have crawled forward on its belly. That, and the paws don’t match up.

Artemis exhausted her list rather quickly, running out of Pokémon who could possibly fit all the categories.

Then, she blinked, and it clicked.

The missing metal bars and the scorched wood container? Fire-type.

The paw and claw marks? Canine or vulpine of some kind, roughly around her size.

The grinding marks on the horizontal brace, spaced out far enough to need the removal of a second bar? Horns would have left behind the white residue and scrapes.

“Houndoom,” Artemis said to herself.

That would explain the chilling sensation and pressure upon the town—why Pokémon seemed to be unnerved recently. There weren’t any Houndoom on the wanted boards though. So either this Pokémon was a new criminal, or had come from another continent.

Or, these were just old tracks, there wasn’t any Houndoom in town, and the chilling feel was a result of some other Pokémon nearby.

Still, there was no reason to panic or immediately rush for the police station to fill out a report. However, she would keep an eye out and let Kangaskhan know. And maybe let the guild know to keep a look out for any sketchy characters lurking about who just so happened to be a Houndoom.

The light from the setting sun diminished, making the shadows within the Depot grow longer. Artemis felt as if there were eyes on her, though that was silly. She was no more or less secure than she had been before finding the breach in the fence. That didn’t stop her from keeping an eye out, checking around corners, going a few steps out of her way to check dark spots.

Finally, she reached the end of the fence, and turned. There was still a lot more perimeter to go, so Artemis picked up the pace a little bit, trotting along, keeping an eye on the Depot around her.

The sky continued to grow darker, the setting sun taking with it all the lingering warmth. The lack of light caused the shelving around Artemis to tower higher, swaying in the darkness. Containers and piles of items held many possible hiding spots for potential criminals. It felt as if she was being watched from around every corner.

And still, there was nothing. Not even an indication that anything was amiss. No knocked over piles of items, or fires, or even the slightest-

Then, she saw it in the distance. A light. It was flickering, moving around, behind rows of items and stacks of boxes.

Fire.

Artemis launched herself forward, paws pounding the dirt, picking up speed at an incredible rate. Her heart thrummed in her chest, equal parts excitement and anger building. How dare this Pokémon break into Kangaskhan’s workplace—the old Pokémon’s home. She was going to make sure this Houndoom knew what happened to thieves and criminals when she was around.

Her claws sank into the dirt as the fire grew brighter, lighting up the darkness. It was approaching from around a corner! Artemis concentrated, the familiar adrenaline running through her, a long missing part of her awakening. Agility welled up around her legs, and she rocketed forward, paws a blur as she careened toward the Pokémon. Artemis was seconds away from it now, and the criminal was rounding the corner. Artemis sprang, and-

Her eyes widened, and she crashed into Junior with a thud that forced the breath from her lungs. The duo tumbled across the dirt, limbs flying, several of her tails getting squished under the much heavier Pokémon. A sudden blow from Junior caught Artemis in the belly, and she was finally pushed off of him, rolling several body lengths further.

“Gah... What the fuck? Artemis?” Junior sat up, still holding the flickering lantern in his grip, the metal frame dented. “What the fuck was that? Why are you here?” The Kangaskhan got to his feet, and squared himself up, narrowing his eyes at Artemis.

“Me!?” Artemis pushed herself upright with an indignant huff. “I’m looking for that fucking bag you keep hiding from your mom. What the fuck are you doing here?” She narrowed her gaze at Junior, her frustration bleeding through.

“I live here.”

“Oh.” Artemis blinked, and lost all momentum her anger had. “Right. Well...” She straightened and flicked her tails, wincing at the light twinge in a few of them from the tumble. “Where’s the bag? Your mom and I are looking for it, and-”

“Mom’s out right now?” Junior asked. His face screwed up with indecision, and he looked back in the direction of the house for a moment. Suddenly, he raised his arm, and tossed something to Artemis’s feet. “Fuck it. It’s not worth it anymore. Take mom back inside.”

It was the bag she’d been looking for.

“... What’s going on?” Artemis could tell something was up. Junior wouldn’t just willingly turn this over. She still slipped a pair of tails under the strap, lifting it up and securing it above her normal bag.

“I thought I saw something- someone. I was going to hide that bag again, but... Just take it and get mom inside.” Junior turned away from Artemis with a growl, brushing himself off.

“What did you see?” Artemis asked.

“Doesn’t matter. Leave,” Junior snapped. He turned, walking away from Artemis, hitting a shelf out of anger on his way out.

Artemis frowned. She wanted so badly to just do that, to get away from that asshole and escort Miss K back inside. To just forget about this entire thing and go back to enjoying her evening out.

But... She couldn’t do that. She still had a job to do, regardless if it was an official request or mission.

Artemis ran forward, cutting off Junior with a furious glare that would make even a rampaging Aggron falter. The civilian Pokémon staggered, taking a half-step back, before regaining his courage. He opened his mouth to speak, likely to scold the Ninetales, but she beat him to it.

“Was it a Houndoom?” Artemis asked. When Junior faltered, frowning, she continued. “Go take your mom inside—there’s a breach in the fence.”

“I’m not going inside,” Junior growled. “I’m not running away from criminals with my tail tucked between my legs. And I’m sure not getting all buddy-buddy with one either.” He gave Artemis a pointed look.

This attitude was really starting to rub her the wrong way. It was infuriating, unprofessional, and downright stupid. She hated to be the one to do this, she was usually happy to bend and flex the rules, but right now there wasn’t any time for that.

“Junior,” Artemis ground out, “I’m not doing this. I am ordering you back to the house. Now.” She stepped closer to the Pokémon, her tails twitching angrily, mist rolling off her body. “I don’t have time to argue. If you don’t turn around and march your ass back to the house, I will knock you out, drag you there myself, and toss you in prison for interference with an investigation.” She stepped closer. Her red eyes flashed brighter, and heat bubbled from her body, causing the packed dirt below her to turn black. “Do I make myself clear?”

Junior snarled, baring his teeth. He dropped the lantern, causing the light to flicker out. His paws clenched, and Artemis was more than ready to drop the idiot the instant he struck.

“... You’re a real piece of shit,” Junior hissed. He whirled around, his tail crashing into one of the shelves with a thunderous crack, splitting the wood and denting the metal frame. A couple layers of the shelf to toppled to the ground, spilling items everywhere. His furious footsteps caused vibrations in the very dirt itself, no doubt some ground-type energy bleeding from him. “Fuck you,” he called back over his shoulder.

Artemis let out a steamy breath, the wavering heat around her body simmering down, reduced to a low roil. Steam continued to pour off of her, collecting on the ground beneath her. She kept a decent space between herself and Junior, following him back to the house.

He did manage to collect his mother relatively quickly, who didn’t seem at all concerned with what had happened. After all, Junior didn’t tell her, and Artemis didn’t feel like stressing out the old woman any more than she needed to be. Instead, she just made sure to keep an eye on the pair, all the way until they hit the porch of the wooden building. Kangaskhan, the sweetheart that she was, asked what happened to Artemis. Junior mumbled something about her needing to take care of something.

The door to the house shut, and Artemis was alone.

She focused, pulling on her energy reserves. She layered Agility on herself over and over and over again, until she physically couldn’t. The mental and physical resistance to layering the move became impossible to overcome.

She tensed.

Then, she was gone. Artemis observed the world at a slower speed due to the energy thrumming through her. The purple miasma around her legs was almost thick enough to touch. She sprinted through the rows of the Depot, back and forth, wind created at her extreme speed. Her movement caused various items to fly off the shelves, or ripped open storage doors.

In only a few minutes Artemis had searched the entire Depot. She'd looked up and down rows, checked dark corners, anything she could possibly find. Her mind stretched out with psychic-type power, feeling around for anything that might be alive nearby. It was an ability she didn’t often use, but it had proven its worth a few times.

Unfortunately, Artemis didn’t find the Pokémon. The only thing she found was a burning hole in the metal fence. It still dripped slag, the metal falling to the ground, sizzling with heat. There were five corners to the breach, signifying the use of an extremely powerful fire-type move.

Artemis slipped through the red-hot iron bars and out, her eyes on the ground, following those large paw prints. They only continued for several steps, before they just... vanished. There was no trace of them. No trees to clamber up, no cliffs to jump off of. Unless some sort of flying Pokémon snagged the intruder just moments ago...

They were gone.

A furious growl slipped from Artemis’s jaws, and twin streams of fire escaped her nose. She turned around, making her way back into the Depot. She had some notes to take, and some work to do.

~{O}~{O}~{O}~

Aurum had been rather enthusiastic about showing Silvally which books to read. Enthusiastic to the point that it had taken nearly an hour to go through everything Aurum wanted. Silvally wound up nearly filling his Exploration Bag with books. Some of them were... a little demeaning, if Silvally thought too hard about it. Some of the picture books still had berry stains from what he assumed to be toddlers and baby Pokémon going through them.

Then again, some books Aurum snagged off the shelf were things that Silvally was surprised the young Riolu was interested in at all. History at a Glance: the Grass Continent’s Roots, which was, hilariously, not a ‘glance’ like the title suggested. The thing was thick enough to send someone to the hospital if it landed on their foot.

There were various other entries like that: Blizzard Island’s Archaeology; The Ghost-Point Triangle—Nature’s Deadliest Geometry; Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time. Thick books that Silvally was certain would take him years to get to.

Then, Aurum would hand him a thin kids book with a bright beaming smile and a waggy tail, and Silvally just had to accept it. Even though Chikorita’s First Day at School did feel... out of place. He still appreciated the effort.

Which is how Silvally found himself somehow babysitting Aurum’s group of friends at the beach. Lucario refused to let Aurum go get his friends without an adult to watch over them. Of course, Artemis had plans and said she was going to visit Kangaskhan. Lucario had to do paperwork and grade assignments. Emerald had to close up the library, and then had mentioned something about having plans—with very red cheeks.

So, of course Aurum had latched onto Silvally’s leg and begged him to watch him and his friends. Begged with the biggest eyes Silvally had ever seen. If he didn’t know any better, he could have sworn Aurum was some kind of professional actor. The kid had to be using some kind of move or technique, because that Riolu was damn persuasive.

Or maybe Silvally was just easily manipulated by adorable fluffy things.

... It was probably the second one.

Silvally glanced up from his little patch of grass at the edge of the beach, looking out at the kids playing ball. They’d constructed two pairs of sand castles, and were currently trying to kick the ball between the ‘net’ they’d created. Of course, they couldn’t take it easy, either. He’d noticed that Pokémon children seemed to be rather competitive. Was that a biology thing? Some built-in process to make kids practice their abilities and work on coordination?

Whatever it was, it was strong enough to have a flaming ball get launched across the beach at speeds that would make a Jolteon jealous. Of course Silvally was worried for the first five minutes. After watching the Shinx take a speeding rubber ball to the face and rag-doll backwards, only to get up and jump back into play, he was a little less worried.

Pokémon kids were tough. Much more than...

Than...

Than what?

Wait, what was he thinking of?

Silvally blinked, and shook his head. The kids seemed fine, so he turned his attention back to the book he was reading. It turns out that, despite its looks, Chikorita’s First Day at School was useful enough. It was cute, in a very young reading level kind of way. However, there were just a couple of specific characters and letters that filled some gaps in his knowledge rather nicely. Silvally poked at his notes a little more, dragging a talon across them, comparing the symbols.

Now would have been a fantastic time for some ink to scribble some more notes—and he meant scribble literally, stupid talons. Being on the grass, at the beach, there really wasn’t anything he could use to write. Sure, maybe he could use the grass around him to stain the parchment sheets green. It wouldn’t match his previous work and would be a distracting eyesore.

Idly, he considered asking the Octillery on the docks if he could have some ink. Was asking a Pokémon for some of their ink considered impolite? Maybe it was some taboo thing and would land Silvally in a lot of hot water. How would he feel if some stranger just walked up to him and asked him for some bodily fluids?

No, it was better to not risk it.

Briefly, his mind flicked to the use of fire. Using a heated and pointed instrument of some kind and scorching the paper just enough to leave markings could work. He didn’t have any fire though. However...

He could probably type-shift if he really wanted to. He’d been... exposed to more than enough fire to understand what it would feel like. All he’d need to do is heat up the tip of his talon. The only thing he’d have to do was focus on-

Heat.

Fire.

Burning.

Running.

Escaping. He had to escape. It hurt. It hurt so much. But he was almost out, he’d lose her in-

...

Silvally blinked, feeling eyes on him. His gaze flicked up, finding Aurum looking at him with concern, a blue glow around him. Abby the Abra had also paused, looking between the Riolu and Silvally with concern. The Cubone and Shinx stopped, looking around in confusion at their friends.

“I’m fine,” Silvally said, a little louder than usual so they would hear him. The increased volume bothered his throat a little, and he grimaced. He waved, urging the kids back to their game, and turned his attention back to his book. It took the kids a moment longer before they were back at it, though at a much more subdued pace.

Silvally glanced at his notes again, keeping the kids in the corner of his vision. He had to get creative, or suck it up and commit everything to memory. But what could stain something permanently-

He blinked.

Silvally focused, and the energy within him started to shift. Already he felt the unfortunately familiar taste of bile in the back of his throat, and the sickly feeling inside him spread. Now wielding poison-typing, he moved one of his talons over his notes. Just as he reached down, talon hovering over the surface, he stopped.

Maybe he should try on a spare sheet, and not his stack of important notes.

Silvally adjusted his target and tried again, pressing a single talon against a fresh sheet of parchment. Almost immediately the surface began to bubble, hissing smoke rising up and away. A horrible black stain spread itself across the paper, causing it to crumble into ashes. Silvally jerked away, surprised. The remnants of the paper sizzled on the grass, causing some of the greenery to wilt as well.

... Far too strong. Could he regulate it? Increase and decrease the potency of the poison? This was far more interesting than learning why Chikorita ‘borrowed’ some Cyndaquil’s pencil and had to go on a long fetch quest to get a new one.

Silvally glanced up at the kids again, before snagging a new sheet. He tried to lightly graze his talon over it, to little effect—it still ate through the paper. His focus went onto the energy coursing through him, that radiated through every corner of his body, and tried to clamp down on it.

He almost threw up. The sick feeling inside of him redoubled and clamoured against his insides, as if begging to get out. He very quickly relaxed his hold on it, and let out a breath, an acrid cloud of purple and yellow vapour slipping from his nose.

Well... that experiment sucked... Onto the next one! If he couldn’t regulate the energy flowing through him by dropping everything at once, could he do it with his talons? Silvally focused, like flexing a muscle in his front leg, his talons curling in. He observed the purple glow of his talons flicker before going dim.

Slowly, hesitantly, he pressed a talon against the sheet of parchment. Smoke rose up from the paper, and his talon punched clean through the page. But... It didn’t start eating away at the rest. Silvally was thrilled. He prodded at the paper several times, trying to mess with the output to his talons, to varying degrees of success.

Just as Silvally turned to a new page, hovering a talon over it, ready to attempt writing...

Dread.

Unease.

The pressure that had been pervading the whole town for the last while swept over the beach. The sky darkened, the setting sun vanishing over the horizon at the same moment. The beach grew dark much too fast.

Silvally glanced up, watching the children falter. Aurum missed a kick, causing the ball to collide with the sand castle goal and collapse it. All four children looked stunned, looking around nervously.

Silver eyes snapped to focus, his gaze lingering on the cave at the other end of the beach. The docks seemed fine as well, though the Pokemon at work also paused briefly. Finding no immediate danger, Silvally stuffed his books and papers into his bag. He was going to regret the lack of organization later, but he had more important matters to attend to. Lucario had put his trust in Silvally to watch Aurum and his friends--Silvally took that seriously.

“It’s pretty late,” Silvally spoke up, approaching Aurum and his friends. He walked toward the group slowly, doing his best to not worry the kids. It didn't help much. The Shinx, Abra, and Cubone all took a step back, and Silvally faltered for a moment. Right, big scary, somewhat unknown, former criminal. “Sorry,” he apologized. “Let’s get you home.”

“I’ll just teleport myself home bye!” Abby blurted out. The Abra disappeared with a pop, leaving her friend group behind.

Cubone squeaked, and Shinx fluffed up in fear, looking more like a ball with each passing second. The two watched Silvally warily, clutching one another.

Aurum was delighted, straight back to his bright mood. “Kay!” he agreed, whirling around to grab the ball, and hefted it up. “Let’s go home!” The Riolu took the lead, his gold-streaked tail wagging back and forth as he set off up the beach, fearlessly trekking forward.

His two friends let out startled cries of “Wait!” and “Slow down!” as they slipped on the sand, scrambling after Aurum.

Silvally huffed out a laugh and followed after the three, pulling up the rear. He kept a look out as they left the beach and moved onto the stone road, his ears perked, listening for anything off. Several Pokémon walked by and gave him cautious looks, but that was the worst of it. They seemed to be intent on returning home, or more worried about something behind them.

“My house is right there!” Aurum announced to Silvally, gesturing with a paw. He hefted up his ball and hurled it across the road, bouncing it off the grass and onto the doorstep. “But, Dad said I gotta take you two home first.” Cubone and Shinx both visibly relaxed, the latter no longer resembling an electric shrubbery.

That didn’t last long.

As they reached a curve in the road, the pressure that had weighed down on them at the beach redoubled. It came in waves, an odd weight pushing down on the group, making their limbs heavy. A horrible odour came with it, so vile that it nearly caused a fight or flight reaction. A slowly growing sensation of dread caused the three children before him to stumble to a halt, and take a step back.

Silvally stepped around them, ears perked and head on a swivel, trying to determine what was causing it. They had to be close, whoever or whatever it was. None of the kids seemed to protest suddenly having a big scary Pokémon leading them down the road and to their homes. Silvally kept them between himself and the cliff to his left.

Just as they rounded the corner and started up toward the crossroads, Silvally heard it. Voices that, while not the same, were extremely familiar. It was the tone he recognized, sarcastic and abrupt. He heard the sound of a pair of bipedal steps, beside two different quadrupeds. There was a fourth set too, one that he wasn’t familiar with.

“I’m telling you, it came from around the beach,” one voice said. He sounded older, a little more certain.

“You still get lost leaving the guild, dumbass,” another replied. She had the same snarky attitude as last time, and had definitely matured. “The only thing your nose is good for is finding trouble.”

“Wow, it’s almost like I’m near a smelly and loud Skuntank every day who fucks up my senses,” the first replied. “I wonder why the best tracker has trouble-”

“Quit it, both of you,” the third said. A low growl backed him up, coming from whoever the fourth member was, immediately silencing any of the bickering. “Let’s just check, clear the cave, and then we can-”

Their group rounded the corner up ahead, passed the unusually silent cafe, and caught sight of Silvally. The two groups froze. Aurum bumped into Silvally, not noticing the sudden stop, causing him to tumble forward.

Up ahead was none other than Team Dusk, though, not quite the same. It was clearly the same group he’d encountered before. The Weavile was in front, like usual, flanked by both a Skuntank and a Mightyena. Silvally was familiar with these kind of Pokémon. He'd run into them in various dungeons while he ‘traveled’. Those three alone would explain the pressure around the town, weighing down on everyone, making everything feel... wrong.

It was the Pokémon behind the trio that drew Silvally’s attention though. It was massive, purple, and covered in armoured chitin that looked more at home on a steel-type. It stood well above the others, even its own species, whom Silvally had encountered a few times in the desert. This was definitely a new member to the team.

Silvally’s memories dragged themselves to the forefront of his mind against his will. Whatever came from the leader’s mouth was muffled and unintelligible.

He saw the three before him again, smaller, younger, less angry looking. They staggered back when he stepped out to greet them, thankful to run into someone or something that he could understand. He tried to say anything, to speak, but it hurt, and any scratchy and intelligent sounds he could manage were muffled by the slab of metal around his head.

Silvally protested and struggled and tried to escape, to no avail. The only way out was to fight. Within moments they wwere beat into the sand, bleeding, not moving. Silvally staggered away, pain wracking his body.

Then, they shifted. The leader was older, and much larger. He said something about evolving. They'd cornered him in a forest of sorts, stuck near the end of a mystery dungeon, with only one way in or out. Silvally had long since given up trying to reason with these people—they wouldn’t listen anyway.

The trio in front of him fanned out, doing their best to flank him. Silvally stepped back, trying to keep them in his limited field of view. That did little to help when the Weavile vanished. Silvally had no warning before a searing pain caught him in the neck and side of the head, throwing him off his feet and into a painful tumble. The metal at the base of his helmet shrieked and warped with each hit. It happened again, and again, in the same spot, throwing him across the clearing.

There was mocking laughter. The scent of iron, blood, was heavy. Light trickled in through a new gap at the base of his helmet... or was he missing a chunk from his neck?

A blinding moment of panic, anger, fear, desperation took over. He grabbed at his helmet, strained, pulling to try to get the damned thing off. His instincts were screaming at him to get out! Something gave to the pressure, and the base split open. Silvally was assaulted by light, sound, colour, smells, and the feeling of fresh air on his face, sunlight blinding him. He had no time to enjoy it—rapid footsteps from the side sounded off again.

In the same spot.

Silvally’s talon lashed out, and he caught the Weavile around the neck. Predictable. He reared back, and-

A gentle touch on his foreleg caught Silvally’s attention. Aurum crept under him and peeked out from around Silvally, looking at the group of four Pokémon. Four Pokémon who were much closer than they had been. Closer than Silvally was even marginally comfortable with.

“Mister Silvally was taking us home,” Aurum said to the four members of Team Dusk. “We were just playing on the beach, and it got dark out, so-” he was cut off.

“Lucario left his kid with someone else? The paranoid one?” the Skuntank asked. She glanced at the rest of her group, and smirked. “Maybe that sketchy Absol finally got her claws on him. You know what they say about the crazy ones...”

“Don’t talk about Miss Emerald like that!” Aurum spoke up. The four completely ignored him.

Mightyena laughed. “I’d like to get my paws on her, if you know what I mean.” He flashed the Skuntank a grin. He was met with a smack to the snout and reeled back with a yelp.

“Quit it, you asshole,” Skuntank growled. “Don’t even joke about that.”

“Both of you,” Weavile snapped, “knock it off!”

The two tried to protest, only to falter when a low growl rolled from the massive Drapion again. He fixed the duo with a glare that immediately caused them to fall silent. Aurum even let out a little yelp and ducked behind Silvally, hiding behind his foreleg.

“Look, kid.” Weavile stepped closer, eyeing Silvally, his claws glimmering. “Trust me on this. You don’t wanna be around these Pokémon. This ‘Silvally’ and... ‘Emerald’ are not good Pokemon. They’ve done some really bad things, and-”

“You’re lying!” Aurum shouted, peeking out from around Silvally’s leg. “I know them and they’re very... um... t-they’re good...” His burst of bravery was short-lived when he locked eyes with Weavile, and the rest of Team Dusk stepped closer. “... Good Pokémon,” he mumbled.

Silvally stepped away from the cliff and grabbed Aurum with a talon. He gingerly guided the little Riolu back into a group with his friends. The other two seemed frozen, unsure what to really do besides just sit there and stay quiet. They didn’t protest when Silvally placed himself between them and Team Dusk.

“Back up,” Silvally growled. His heart was beating far too quick, and nervous energy thrummed through him. His legs were numb with adrenaline, and his eyes flicked between each of the four Pokémon in front of him. Sharp talons sank into the stone path beneath him, gripping solid rock tight.

“Not gonna happen,” Weavile bit back. “I don’t know what you’re up to, but it’s over.”

The leader of Team Dusk stalked closer, stopping just outside of Silvally’s reach. The skunk-like Pokémon came around to the left, and the Mightyena stepped to the right. All three were backed up by the chitin-armoured wall called Drapion, who towered over them. Silvally had encountered the scorpion-like Pokémon once in the early days, having been chased into a desert. The one before him... Silvally had to look up, which didn’t happen often.

“We had to drop an important mission to come back here,” Weavile explained. “You can play pretend with that stuck-up bitch all you want, but we see through it. Something is off about the town. Pokémon are scared and confused. The annoyingly cheerful town is quiet.”

Silvally didn’t really have a response. Yes, something was off about the town, but no one seemed to have figured out why yet. Playing pretend, though? Maybe. He was acting like an explorer supposedly should. But, he was also being himself? Sure, he had to pretend to not be confused and concerned when something new and completely unfamiliar happened. In the wilderness, that would be treated as a threat.

“We’ve talked with other Pokémon,” Weavile continued—he did seem to like his own voice, “good Pokémon. The single biggest change in town is you.” He stopped, and pointed a claw at Silvally. “I don’t know what you’re doing, or how you’re doing it, but it’s over. We’re giving you one chance to come clean, and walk away.”

Once again, Silvally didn’t say anything. What could he say that would suddenly change their minds? Without any evidence they just assumed he was the one messing with the town. Who had they even spoken to? Anyone paying attention would know that Silvally had been in town for a while before all this started.

“Y-you’re wrong,” Aurum stuttered from behind Silvally.

“Kids, come out,” Weavile said. “We’re taking you home.”

Once again, they didn’t move. Whether it was fear, or bravery, Silvally wasn’t sure. But they remained in their same spot, and Aurum even pressed closer to Silvally, clinging to his back leg.

“I didn’t want to do this,” Weavile sighed. “Alright, grab the kids, let’s-”

Silvally was alright remaining quiet while being accused of something he didn’t do. He was fine weathering glares and insults. There wasn’t any reason to get riled up and make things worse—he had to behave. He had to somehow prove that he was capable of living among other Pokémon.

But involving the children? The ones he was supposed to watch over? Even if Team Dusk had good intentions, Silvally was not going to let that happen.

A sharp, grating sound rolled from his jaws, a combination of his lower teeth grinding on metal, and a growl from somewhere deep within. Silvally planted himself in front of the children, energy coursing through him. His body shifted colours, from a light blue, to a sickly purple, and a vibrant yellow. It settled on a bright orange, the fighting-type energy slotting into place.

Muscles bulged out and strained, defined even through his fur. His feathers and fur stood on end, instinctively making himself appear larger. Not that he had any need to do so, his musculture rippling just below the surface. Silvally planted his paws and reared back, standing tall, his shoulders rolling and forelegs held like arms. He dwarfed the entirety of Team Dusk, towering over them, nearly twice as tall on his hind legs as even the Drapion.

Weavile staggered back half a step, and the Skuntank and Mightyena both tripped backward, tumbling to the ground. The only one who didn’t move was Drapion, the armoured tank just standing there, scowling.

Silvally’s eyes met the Drapion’s gaze, and the two stared one another down. Neither moved, and the rest of Team Dusk seemed to be frozen with indecision.

A soft whimper came from behind Silvally. Who it was, he couldn’t tell. But, the wide scorpion-like Pokémon glanced down at the noise. Silvally immediately shifted to the side, blocking the children behind himself once more.

Drapion looked back up at him, and his scowl eased, turning into... a smile? A smirk.

Silvally blinked in confusion as a low rumbling laugh escaped the large purple Pokémon. He looked down at the Drapion, tense, ready to act. But, the armoured Pokémon said nothing, looking up at Silvally without a care.

And then he turned. Drapion reached out with a single large claw, grabbed Weavile by the arm, and hefted him up. Without so much as a word, Drapion began half-dragging, half-walking Weavile down the road.

“Wh- wait! What? What are you doing?!” Weavile protested. He struggled against Drapion’s iron-grip, to absolutely no avail. All he managed to do was spin around in his teamates grip.

“Not him,” Drapion rumbled out.

“What!? But- what about the kids? We need to get them home!”

“They’re safe,” came the reply. The powerhouse of Team Dusk dragged his leader down the road despite his protests and kicking.

Silvally stood, frozen in place. His gaze fell to the other two members, still laying on the path, and they squeaked. The duo took off so fast they almost left dust clouds behind, scrambling away down the road after the other two.

As the group left, the oppressive atmosphere slowly faded. It was easier to breathe, to move, to do anything, and an immediate feeling of relief washed over Silvally and the children. Silvally dropped to all fours with a thud, and breathed out. The energy thrumming under the surface slowly faded. It did little for his adrenaline though, his heart still pounding in his chest, paws and talons tense, on high-alert.

“They were scary,” Aurum said from behind Silvally. There was a sudden thump against his leg, and a warm body hugged him. “Thank you.”

“Uh, y-yeah, thanks,” the Cubone chimed in. The poor Shinx just looked confused and terrified, back to electric shrubbery status.

After that, there weren’t any more interruptions. The walk was rather silent, all things considered. The kind of silence that one so desperately wanted to break, but to do so would be even more awkward than if they left it alone.

Aurum directed Silvally toward Cubone’s house, and the little Pokémon nearly sprinted for the door when the building was in sight. He blurted out a little “Kay, thanks, bye!” and slammed the door behind him.

Thankfully, Shinx didn’t live much further away. The only reason the poor guy was still walking is because Aurum was in the lead, guiding the little electric-cat forward with a paw on his shoulder. Like the other child, Shinx bolted away—literally. The afterglow of the lightning trail seared itself into Silvally’s vision for a minute.

And then it was just him and Aurum. Of course by now, Aurum was right back to his normal, cheerful self, racing ahead at full speed, and then slowing down to a walk. Unfortunately his little legs couldn’t keep up with Silvally’s normal strides, and he found himself in a constant back and forth. That is, until...

“Can you carry me?” Aurum asked, coming to a stop in front of Silvally. “I’m tired.”

Silvally looked up. Aurum’s house was just around the corner, less than a minute walk away. They would be there in maybe ten seconds if they both ran for it. Silvally didn’t want to have someone riding on his back, not like last time...

“Pleeaasse?” Aurum begged, his puppy eyes ever-so-wide, tail wagging with excitement.

Who was he kidding? He couldn’t say no to that face. Silvally caved and his legs folded just as fast, planting himself on the road. Aurum let out an excited squeak and raced forward. He clambered up Silvally’s side and onto his back, yanking at chunks of feathers and fur as he did so.

Once Silvally stood, Aurum let out a nervous but excited giggle, and sat himself down right behind Silvally’s shoulders. His little paws grabbed at his fur, tugging on it gently.

Silvally’s pace slowed a little to give the kid a smoother ride, and to draw it out a little bit. Clearly the kid was having fun. So, Silvally wandered back and forth across the road, gradually making his way to Aurum’s house. Occasionally he would drift toward a tree or a rock on the side of the road. Aurum would pull on his fur like reigns, successfully ‘guiding’ Silvally from crashing.

The trip, despite the lengthy meandering, was over relatively quickly. Silvally climbed the short steps to the house, and paused at the door, unsure if he should knock or-

The wooden door swung inward, and Silvally was face-to-face with a rather tired looking Lucario. His expression brightened immensely upon seeing his son clinging to Silvally’s back. Aurum’s dad plucked the Riolu into his arms, and stepped back, leaving the door open.

Silvally balked at the silent invitation, watching Lucario through the door. Once the older Pokémon vanished around a corner, Silvally decided it would be rude to not at least come inside for a few minutes. He ducked through the threshold and gingerly closed the door behind him. Immediately the scent of fresh food, vegetables and fruits and meats assailed him. The building was brightly lit, using some form of electricity within its walls. The sound of it was audible and-

“Hello, Silvally.”

He jumped and whirled around, fur and feathers sticking up in surprise. Emerald looked caught off-guard, and then the Absol let out a laugh.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” she apologized. “Glad you both made it back safely.”

“It’s okay.” Silvally took a moment, and then cocked his head. “You live here?”

“Wh- no!” Emerald stammered and let out a nervous laugh, her cheeks visibly darkening. “No, I just- I mean, I’ve been staying over, but I don’t... It’s not like that!” She closed her eyes and took a breath, rubbing a paw over her face to hide her blatant embarrassment. “Lucario is, uh, letting me stay over. My disaster sense is...” she glanced around, ensuring they were alone, and lowered her voice, “it’s very active. I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s worse when I’m alone.”

“Disaster sense?” Silvally asked, keeping his voice low.

“Oh.” Emerald sat down. “I guess you wouldn’t know, considering the... well, everything,” she gestured with a paw toward Silvally—he understood. “Absols—that’s what I am—can naturally detect disasters. You know, earthquakes, fires, anything that has the potential to cause a large loss of life.” She reached up and gingerly tapped on her horn with a claw. “We get this feeling that something is wrong, but much, much stronger. Some Absols are able to hone their senses well, but I’ve never been great at it.”

Silvally was fascinated. Disaster sense? Is that something that any Pokémon could learn, or was it only for her species? Maybe limited to dark-type Pokémon? If he type-shifted to dark, would he be able to learnt? Maybe there was some sort of psychic energy needed.

“My mom was really good at it,” Emerald continued. “She could just look at someone, focus, and could tell if they were in any danger within a pretty large span of time. She could even tell Pokémon when, depending on how strong the sensation was. All I get is some vague feeling when I try.”

“That’s amazing,” Silvally breathed.

“N-no, it’s nothing, really!” she hurried. “Look, I’ll show you.” Emerald closed her eyes and took a breath. Her large sickle-like horn started glowing white, and she shifted her head slightly, angling toward Silvally. “See? It’s just... pretty much the same as everything around us. Something is gonna happen, somewhat soon. Though...” Emerald paused for a moment, furrowing her brows. “It’s a little sharper around you. Maybe you’ll be directly involved? It’s really hard to tell. You’re kind of... messy?”

“Um... thanks?” Silvally wasn’t exactly sure how to respond to that. He sat down, watching Emerald quickly turn into a stammering mess.

“No, I didn’t mean it like- ugh...” The Absol shook her head and flashed him an apologetic smile. She closed her eyes once again, and sighed. “I mean there’s more to it, like... like there’s something lingering on you from a long time ago. And... It’s coming back?”

“What do you mean?” Silvally shuffled a little closer, his mind racing. Something from his past? This was incredibly important. Maybe it would help him learn... Well, anything! Anything to do with his past. If there was even a trace beyond something two years ago, he had to know. “Please, tell me.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t know.” Emerald let out a huff, and the glow of her horn faded a bit. “I told you, I’m no good at this. It’s mostly just vague feelings, and lingering... I don’t know, flavours? It feels a little different is all.” She balked as Silvally shuffled a little closer, his bulk rather large this close to her. Her green eyes met his silver ones, and the two gazed at one another.

“Please,” Silvally begged. His ears pinned back, and crest fell. "Anything helps.”

“I...” Emerald couldn’t look away, and after a moment, resigned. “Alright, I’ll try. But I’m telling you I’m no good at this.” Her green eyes slipped closed, and her horn started to glow bright again. “It’s really hard to tell, but... if something left echoes on you, it had to be big. I don’t know how to convey exactly how big. The last time I felt anything like it was when I met Artemis’s parents.”

That meant very little to Silvally. He didn’t know who they were, or what they’d done. Maybe they were famous explorers?

“It’s coming back?” Silvally asked, echoing her words from earlier.

“I... I think so?” Emerald’s brow furrowed, and the glow from her horn grew brighter still. “It’s... almost the same as the echoes, just very faint. I don’t think you need to worry about it for a while, but... It’s really big.” Her claws curled and scraped at the wood floor. “I-I don’t know much else. It probably won’t even happen, honestly. It’s just... the possibility of it happening again is incredibly damaging. It might be worse than-”

“Dinner's ready!” Lucario’s voice called from the kitchen. Emerald jumped hard, as did Silvally, causing the two Pokémon to smash their heads together. Bone-like horn met metal-plated beak and the pair recoiled, staggering back a few steps.

“You okay?” Silvally asked, shaking his head. He stepped toward the dazed Absol, and stood just out of reach, ready to help her if needed. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine, I’m okay.” Emerald brushed him off with a wave of her paw, and rubbed her horn with a little hiss. “Sorry, I don’t do that very often. Told you I’m no good at it.”

“No, you helped,” Silvally reassured her. “Thank you. I... sorry.”

“No, no, don’t be! I offered! I just didn’t expect... Well, I didn’t know what to expect, to be honest.” Emerald pushed herself to all fours, and walked past Silvally. She tossed him a glance over her shoulder as she stepped into the kitchen. “Come on, Lucario’s cooking is amazing.”

Silvally just watched her leave, blinking. The whiplash was too much—he was getting a headache. Well, he might as well follow her and indulge his host. It’d be rude to refuse, right?

The moment Silvally turned the corner he was met by the sight of a rather colourful spread of food. The smell of a well-cooked meal hit him like a Quick-Attack. He found Lucario already seated in an ornate wooden chair, passing a plate of food to Emerald. Aurum was already digging in, his tail a blur.

“I wasn’t sure what you like, so I made a little bit of everything,” Lucario said, glancing at Silvally. “I already know what these two enjoy.” Emerald laughed nervously at that. Aurum lifted his head and nodded enthusiastically, before diving back in for more. “Manners, Aurum,” Lucario scolded, with a little tap on his son’s head.

Silvally approached the table, eyeing the various soups and salads and breads and meats. He sat himself on the floor, tall enough to look down at the table without a seat. Unlike Emerald, who had a short platform to sit on.

“Go ahead,” Lucario encouraged. “I know the guild’s food isn’t the best, so I hope this is an okay thank you for watching the kids.”

He didn’t really know what to say. So, he didn’t—Silvally flashed Lucario a polite smile and dipped his head in thanks. Hesitantly, he reached out, and grabbed a bunch of berries. Then a small hunk of what looked like some soft, smoked meat. A few vegetables here and there, cooked several different ways, all piled on the little slab of stone they used as plates.

“Aurum, did you have a good day today?” Emerald asked.

“Mhm!” the Riolu replied. “School was super easy—though I got stuck on a math question. But I figured it out! And I got to play ball today and because I finished all my work early, Miss Butterfree let me read.”

Silvally half listened as he tucked into his food, and paused. Indescribable textures and flavours caught him entirely off-guard. How did Lucario make a bland root vegetable taste like this? He tried the others as well, careful not to be rude, and ate slowly despite his body telling him to scarf it down. The conversation was lost on him, enamoured with the meal as he was.

It was only when Silvally fumbled with a bowl that he snapped back to the conversation, noticing the rather sudden silence. He glanced up, just in time for the bowl to slip from his talons again, the awkward shape made for paws and careful digits, and not his clumsy talons. Once again, his messed up body made things unnecessarily complicated, and-

“Would you like help, Silvally?” Emerald asked. “It’s tricky and frustrating at first, but I can show you.”

Silvally just silently nodded and passed Emerald the bowl. She manipulated it in her paws and showed off a series of carved grooves on the inside, allowing her to hook her claws on the lip, and dip the bowl into the soup.

“There, just takes a little practice.” She set the bowl on his plate, and flashed him a smile.

It was at that moment that everything came crashing down onto him. She was being so nice to him. They were using his name—he had a name. He’d been welcomed into their house, and given a seat at their table. Lucario made multiple small dishes because he didn’t know Silvally’s preference. This was for his own benefit, not just something he was given as an afterthought.

There was an odd feeling of comfort that settled in Silvally’s core. It was foreign—alien. This all felt so familiar, yet so strange. He was warm, in an actual house, with good food, and friendly people who wanted to help him.

Silvally didn’t feel the constant sensation of being watched from the shadows. There was no discomfort of sleeping in a large, open, vulnerable space. There was no need to watch his back, or stress about being chased, or concern about finding his next meal.

Why did it feel so right, yet so strange?

“What- Oh, gosh, are you-” Emerald’s words were silenced as Lucario’s hand landed on her paw. The two shared a look, and then looked at Silvally with soft smiles. Aurum was wagging happily, having stopped to look at Silvally as well.

Why were they... Oh. Everything was all blurry. His cheeks were wet. His eyes stung, but he didn’t have any sand in them this time. Silvally took a shaky breath, unable to help the stupid little smile on his face that he knew made him look silly and out of place and-

“Thank you,” Silvally said. He didn’t need to elaborate.

“I told you his cooking was good,” Emerald added. “I don’t think I’d ever leave if I got meals like this every day.”

“Oh?” Lucario flashed her a sly grin, and turned to face her. “Is that why you come back? Just for my cooking?”

“What!? N-no!” Emerald protested, reeling back in her seat. “That’s not why- I mean, it’s part of it, but-” her face grew more red with each passing second, much to everyone’s amusement. “I lo- like this and I just- You can’t just say- I mean... Gah!” The Absol planted her face in a paw, completely red, doing her best to hide from Lucario’s amused chuckles and Aurum’s giggling.

Dinner passed quickly, as did the cleanup. Poor Aurum had settled on the floor to read a book, and within a few minutes had passed out, face-down in the pages. Lucario had scooped up the little Riolu and carried him off to bed, returning after a few minutes.

And then they were three. With Aurum in bed, Emerald and Lucario seemed to be a little more cuddly with one another. The two of them sat down on a rather plush looking half-bed of sorts, and Silvally settled across from them, waiting.

Apparently, Artemis had said she would meet everyone here once she was finished with her evening with Kangaskhan. Silvally didn’t mind too much, that meant he got to relax and enjoy the company. It was interesting, getting a look into a non-explorer’s life. Where they talked about work, and housing, or what the neighbours did this time that had the entire street in hysterics. Talks of Aurum’s schooling, or how Lucario had to deal with one trouble-maker of a Duskull, and the punishments handed out.

Silvally was so engrossed, listening to the back and forth, he’d completely forgotten he was even waiting for someone.

That is, until a light series of knocks rapped on the door. It slowly swung open, and Artemis stepped through. Red eyes bordered by white fur locked onto Silvally, and it was like a switch flipped. The happy, relaxed feeling died in an instant, and he returned to his forced emotional neutrality. His ears perked higher, and his fur felt as if it became more sensitive, reacting to the lightest breeze in the air.

His normal state.

“Good evening, Artemis,” Lucario greeted.

“Hello, Artemis,” Emerald said, before letting out a yawn.

Silvally dipped his head in greeting, before narrowing his eyes. Artemis looked a little winded, and more alert than she would when relaxed. Silvally pushed himself to all fours and gave Artemis his full attention.

“Good evening, Lucario, Emerald,” Artemis said, glancing at the two cuddling Pokémon. “Sorry, I don’t mean to be rude, but we can’t stay.”

Lucario’s eyes flashed blue for a moment, and his eyes narrowed. “What’s wrong?” Emerald seemed confused, and glanced between Lucario, Artemis, and Silvally.

“There was a break-in at the Depot,” Artemis explained. “No one’s hurt,” she added, interrupting Emerald’s question. “But, we’ve gotta go. We’re gonna do a sweep of the town while Metagross and their officers deal with gathering information.”

“I’m going to go help,” Lucario made to stand, only to be interrupted.

“No, this is official Explorer business now,” Artemis said. “I know you have a badge and everything, but just stay here. We don’t know where the Pokémon is, and I don’t want you or anyone else getting hurt.”

Lucario and Emerald shared another look, before the two stood up, Lucario’s hand on the Absol’s shoulder.

“Very well.” Lucario frowned, as if eating something particularly bitter. “I’ll stay here and keep everyone safe.”

“I’ll keep an eye out for anything,” Emerald added, and her horn glowed brighter for a second.

“Thank you.” Artemis stepped back through the door, holding it open for Silvally.

The Chimera Pokémon took a breath, and fell back into ‘Explorer Mode’, alert and awake and focused. “Thank you for the meal,” he said, turning to Lucario and Emerald. The two smiled softly, and nodded. Silvally followed Artemis outside, the duo walking down the path to the road.

“Oh,” Artemis stopped, turning to face the house. Lucario and Emerald stood in the doorway, watching the two leave. “Keep an eye out for any Hound- er, for any suspicious Dark or Fire type Pokémon.”

Artemis didn’t seem to notice the visceral reaction the two had to her words, but Silvally did. Lucario stood straighter, and his eyes widened. One of his paws holding the door clenched tightly, and Silvally swore he could hear the wood creaking under his grip. Emerald’s reaction wasn’t any less severe, and she took a step back. Her face paled slightly, and her eyes took on an almost glossy look for a moment.

Silvally didn’t have time to ask about this. The door to the house slammed closed with a little too much force, and the sound of a deadbolt sliding into place was rather audible, even from the outside. When he turned back to look at Artemis, she was already several strides ahead of him, loping up the path.

With a little huff, Silvally started after her, quickly catching up to the Ninetales. He hoped this wouldn’t take too long—after everything today, he was more than ready to flop into bed.

~{O}~{O}~{O}~

Houndoom snarled, glaring down at the city. They couldn't see him from his position atop the plateau. All he really needed to watch out for were the Magnemite flitting around the place. That, and that damned fox. He wasn't expecting her of all people to show up.

Treasure Town was filled with some of the strongest Pokemon across the continents. That was the rumour anyway--Houndoom didn't buy it. Sure, Wigglytuff's Guild had stronger than average recruits. Sure, the Guildmaster was some fabled powerhouse.

Wigglytuff was also old, and that era had long since passed.

Houndoom was certain he would be more than able to handle anything and anyone that crossed him. That was, until he'd seen the daughter of the Heroes of Time. He wasn't going anywhere near that.

No, tonight had been too close. Now they knew he was here. Houndoom would have to lay low for a while, and do some more scouting. He was sure his old partner was here. Where else would the Expedition Society send a former criminal under witness protection?

Houndoom glanced down at the Depot and scoffed, his easy money and food source gone. Police patrolled the place now, and every Pokmeon was up in arms. They'd notice his footprints, and know exactly who he was. His extra two weeks of leeway was gone. With this, they'd put his wanted poster across every damn continent. The waiting period to international criminal status would be well over by the time the sun rose.

Still, he could deal with it. He had to. If nothing else, he was going to find his traitorous partner, and get answers. He'd loved her. She hadn't had the guts to finish what they'd started.

That was fine. He'd find her.

After all, green eyes weren't a normal trait for an Absol.