Young World

StarFalcon555 Drabble

“Young masters, settle down!”

“Can’t catch us, Norman!”

“Haha, y–yeah!”

The normally serene atmosphere of the room was torn to shreds as the ripped pillow flew across the room, slamming full-speed into the face of an Indeedee. The butler grumbled as he picked the cushion off his face, glancing around at the warzone around him.

The fireplace cast a dim glow on the once ornate layout of the room. The antique sofas, scratched and ripped. The vintage carpet, soaked and soggy. The old painted walls, singed and scorched. Even, somehow, the ceiling chandelier was dripping wet.

Norman sighed as he watched a small Sobble chase around a Litten, the former’s adept legs allowing it to climb over the furniture that the latter adeptly leapt around or ducked under.

“Can’t catch me!”

“I–I’ll get you eventually!”

“Young masters, it is well past your bedtime. Please calm down and–”

“NUH UH, not yet!” Klaw cried.

“Y–yeah, we can go all n–night!” Dewey echoed his brother.

Norman sighed. He was too tired for this, he had a report to tend to later. “If you do not go to bed right now, I will–”

Another pillow slammed against his face. With almost comically slow timing, it slid off, revealing a feather-covered glare of frustration.

“…If you so desire to stay up, then I shall respect your wishes, young masters.” Norman plucked the bits of fluff from his fur, before dusting off his hands and pivoting to walk out of the room. He glanced over his shoulder. “Good night. Do not take long to go to bed.” With all the infinite strength of his considerable patience, Norman resisted the urge to slam the door shut, letting it click into place silently.

Klaw and Dewey burst into laughter, rolling around on the dirty, ruined floor of the messy room.

“DID YOU SEE HIS FACE?!” Klaw guffawed.

“Y–yeah, it was hilarious!” Dewey grinned.

“Ah, shows him right. Thinking he can boss us around… He’s not our dads!”

“Y–yeah!”

The laughs turned to giggles, and then the humor subsided. Klaw jumped onto one of the sofas, sitting curled-up on one of the untouched cushions. Dewey joined him, perched on top of one of the backrests.

“So, what do you want to do now?”

“Um…” The moment stretched on as Dewey closed his eyes in thoughts, before ultimately shrugging half-heartedly.

Klaw grunted. “We can just talk I guess. No biggie.”

“W–well, what do you wanna talk about?”

“I…”

“…”

“…”

The silence was deafening. The fireplace crackled gently, the warmth washing over them both. Klaw yawned, glancing towards the windows, past the shredded curtains, to the dark sky outside.

“You ever wonder… what it’s like out there?”

“W–we go outside a–all the t–time.”

“No I mean… on our own.”

“O–oh.”

“…”

“…”

“Kinda wish I knew. You know?”

“Y–yeah. B–but… it’s not like our dads will let us… or Norman…”

Klaw scoffed. “I could care less about that old fart. But yeah… dads would never let us out… Not by ourselves.”

“I–it’s not like they’re with us a w–whole lot a–anyways… Always out on ‘b–business…’”

“Yeah…”

“W–we don’t even know w–what they do…”

Klaw shrugged. “Dunno, they work in this big mansion. Maybe they’re butlers?”

“B–but they’re n–never IN the m–mansion…”

“…Hmm. Good point.”

“…”

“…Y–you ever w–wonder what our dads do out there?”

“I…” Klaw paused to think for a moment. “I… don’t know. They keep leaving though.”

Dewey weighed. “And with N–Norman.”

Klaw growled. “Treat us like kids. We’re way smarter than that!”

“W–we’re only five…”

“Yeah but we’re way smarter than other five-year-olds!”

“…”

“…Okay maybe not THAT smart but at least we aren’t babbling babies like the rest of them! We even know how to use moves already!”

“Y–yeah!”

“They don’t tell us anything, even though we’re big boys!”

“Y–yeah…”

“…” Klaw glanced at Dewey. “Hey, bro?”

“Guh?”

“You… wanna see what it’s like out there?”

“W–wh–”

“Without our dads I mean.”

“I–I–” Klaw slipped behind the sofa, only the fin atop his head and his fingers peeking visibly over the edge.

Klaw jumped to his feet. “Come on, we’ve never been outside! Not, er, without a grown-up around at least.”

“B–but dads s–s–said th–th–th–”

Dewey gulped, peeking his shaky eyes over the cushion. “Th–th–”

Klaw jumped up onto the top of the sofa. “H–hey, slowly. Norman said to ‘e-nun-see-ate’ or whatever.”

Dewey swallowed the lump in his throat, looking up at Klaw, who patted his head gently. “Er… Uh… D–d–dads said th–there was… A bunch of…”

“Monsters? Nah, no way. If they were that scary, then how come Norman goes outside?”

“H–he d–does?”

“Yeah, duh. I can see him outside the window sometimes. Holding some… weird cushion. With a white thing on it. Does it every time dads come home.” Klaw shrugged, hopping back down to the lower seats of the sofa to sit down again. “But yeah, we can definitely go outside, it’s not dangerous!”

“B–b–but–”

“But what?”

“W–won’t we…” Dewey shuddered. “G–get in t–trouble?”

“Aw, don’t worry about that. We’ll just be sneaky.”

Klaw glanced over at the door. It hung slightly ajar, but no sound came from the opposite end.

Weird. I thought Norman closed it.

He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. The door wasn’t important, this was. “We could sneak out tomorrow during naptime, Norman always leaves us alone then. How’s that?”

Dewey said nothing, looking away from Klaw.

“Hey, don’t give me that look, we can totally do it!”

“I… just w–worry…”

“…Come here.”

Dewey, with great hesitance, slipped over the edge of the sofa and joined Klaw on the untouched pillow. He wrapped a foreleg around Dewey, who squeaked slightly. “Listen, I got your back. I won’t let anything happen to you, alright?”

Dewey sniffled, and Klaw licked the top of his head. “I’m goin’ out there, gotta see the world for myself! I’m a big boy, I can do it! You got my back?”

“…Y–yeah… I’m your bro…”

“Heck yeah!”

“N–Norman said not to swear!”

“Oh yeah, sorry.”

---

“…And they plan to depart the following day, directly after lunch.”

“Thank you for your report, dear Norman.”

“…What shall we do about this, master?”

“Nothing. You will remain silent and allow them to leave the premises.”

“I… am not sure I follow your logic, master.”

“I seek to bolster the strength of my internal forces, of course. This is, as far as I can see, a way of testing their potential.”

“…Forgive me for my insolence… but could you explain it to one as unknowing as myself?”

“Those two are the offspring of my two most capable and ruthless enforcers. Would you not think they had similar potential as their fathers?”

“…I believe they would.”

“Then it stands to reason that they should hold within them similar levels of power.”

“But at… such a young age, master?”

“I do not expect them to be as dangerous as their fathers. But what better way to test how they will fare than by sending them into the field?”

“…My master, are you suggesting–?”

“Yes. I do believe there is an escaped convict on the loose around these parts?”

“Yes. Manectric Circuit.”

“What, I ask, are his charges?”

“Trafficking, first-degree murder, and numerous accounts of assault and petty theft.”

“And… is he one of mine?”

“…No.”

“Excellent. Then allow the children to leave.”

“But master… what will their fathers think?”

“Oh, I do not believe there will be an issue. After all…”

“Where the cubs go, the mother is sure to follow.”

---

The sound of a creaking door split the musty indoor air.

“…I think the coast is clear. Come on, let’s go!”

“A–ah, not so fast!”

“Hurry, before Norman catches us!”

Shuffling, more creaking, and finally a muffled click followed suit.

“I… don’t think he noticed.”

“…A–are you–”

“Yeah, I am. Come on!”

Footsteps pittered down the hallways, quick and quiet, hasty but careful. They echoed subtly through the empty halls, the space void of all signs of life, no movement besides the dashing children and the occasional wafting curtain from the inbound breeze.

It carried a nice smell, that wind.

The footsteps slowed, and a voice replaced it in the void of silence.

“Alright, this should be the front door. We get out here, and we’re home-free!”

“Y–y… W–why is it u–unl–l–locked?”

“…Don’t know. But it’s good, right?”

“…”

“Come on, man, we’re already so far, we can’t give up now!”

“…Y–yeah.”

A click, and a creak. Fur brushing against the doorframe. And then it shut with another click of finality.

“…I think we did it!”

“Y–yeah! Alright let’s move into the forest more so they don’t see us from the windows!”

“R–right!”

The sound of feet padding against the soft grass chased after them as they disappeared from sight, bounding playfully into the treeline. All around them, the wilderness welcomed their arrival, bird greeting them with a choir of chirps, the leaves and branches bowing before them, the very sky itself curving around them in a protective hug, its vast expanse cozy and welcoming surrounding the puffs of white cotton-clouds that drifted about in the sky.

Dewey stopped running for a moment, leaning against a tree trunk and panting as he doubled over. “B–bro, w–wait… up… huff…”

Klaw, who was more fit, slowed down and peered over his shoulder. “Oh, sorry man. Was just excited, is all.”

“Y–yeah, I’m excited… huff… t–too… huff…”

“Maybe let’s take five,” Klaw mumbled, walking over and sitting down next to his brother. As the sounds of Dewey’s panting faded, the Sobble slowly catching his breath, Klaw looked around and… saw.

For the first time, no adult rushing him along, telling him they had places to go, and no time to waste, Klaw had a moment to appreciate what was around him. He had always been the more energetic of his sibling pair; for every mess Dewey caused, he was sure to have already made three more. But for once, simply taking in the sounds around him, the feeling of the grass beneath his paws, tickling his hide, the wind combing through his fur, the world heralding his existence…

He liked it.

“Dewey… this place is beautiful.”

The Sobble looked up, breathing even now. He saw Klaw looking at the trees around them, and scanned around as well. He said nothing for a while, and neither did Klaw, the brothers letting the world around them entertain and enamor them.

“…Y–yeah,” Dewey finally managed to get out. Klaw did not respond.

The shadows kneeled before them, a comforting blanket of cool shade that hid them from the shining sun. The trees arched over them, balmy leaves swaying as a moving canopy above Klaw and Dewey’s heads. 

“…I… I could get used to this.”

“…I could too.”

“…”

“…”

The silence stretched on.

Nobody was interested in breaking it.

Except-

Klaw and Dewey’s heads whirled around at the sounds of rustling bushes. The forest shrank away as their vision narrowed in on a particular spot of shaking leaves. Klaw growled, crouching to the ground. Dewey’s eyes shifted around nervously.

Suddenly, from the underbrush, a large quadrupedal figure emerged. They stepped out from the shade of the tree, the sun glinting off a large yellow head that looked like a canine wearing a helmet. Blue, matted fur followed suit, until at last a Manectric stood before the brothers, eyes looking them up and down.

“Well… what do we have here…?” the Manectric sneered, snout curving into an ugly grin.

Klaw clenched his teeth. “Who are you?! What do you want?”

The Manectric chuckled. “Kids… And I thought breaking out was a blessing enough!”

He threw his head back, gaze piercing the heavens. “ARCEUS! THANK YOU FOR YOUR GIFT!”

His chin lowered, his manic eyes zeroed in on the brothers. “You two… thank you for being here… You’ll do just fine…”

Klaw growled lowly. “Dewey,” he whispered. “Run.”

Dewey stammered, “B–but–”

Klaw suddenly yelled, “Go!” before launching himself at the Manectric, paws outstretched. The electric type was caught off-guard as the Litten raked his paws across the canine’s face.

“ARGH–” the Manectric yelped as he reared back, but Klaw was already on him. The cat jumped onto his back, opening his mouth and filling it with fire. Before the Manectric could do so much as cry out, Klaw bit down on the Manectric’s neck, flame flaring out as his burning fangs seared the fur and tore through the skin.

Manectric howled in pain before he grit his teeth and let loose a powerful shock, the surrounding area illuminated by its sheer glow even in broad daylight. Klaw screeched, loosening his grip just in time for Manectric to leap up and slam his back into the ground, crushing Klaw under his much greater weight.

“K–Klaw!” Dewey cried out. He gathered energy in his mouth before spitting it out, the Water Gun attack coming out as a powerful stream.

Manectric clamped down Klaw with a paw, his own jaw sparking with electricity, before the blast hit him.

“GHfhfhhfhh–” he sputtered, raising a paw to try and block the attack while Klaw, body slightly spasming and battered, managed to claw his way out of Manectric’s grip, crawling away as best as he could.

Dewey took this opportunity, pausing his attack and rushing in to grab Klaw and drag him away to safety. Manectric spat out mouthfuls of water before looking up and glaring at the two.

“Bah,” he scoffed, “and here I thought it would be easy. But then again…”

He sized up the pair, mouth twisting into a crooked grin. “Doesn’t look as though you can do much, eh? Your strongest is down… and the other a water type.”

His eyes glinted cruelly, his smirk devilish. “I suppose it was just that easy. Was hardly a challenge at all.”

Dewey squared up, standing over Klaw, who stirred just barely.

“Oh?” Manectric sneered. “You want to fight, still? What’re you, five?”

“…”

“HA! Don’t make me laugh.” He gestured with a paw towards his chin, exposing his neck. “Well, go on, give me your best shot. I don’t suppose you could make me feel this, eh?”

Well. For all the stutters and nervousness…

Who was Dewey to say no to such an opportunity?

For his brother.

With a determined look on his face, he clasped his palms together, slowly spreading them outwards as an icy mist formed between them. Small, needle-thin darts formed in the hazy cloud, and Dewey looked up, seeing the Manectric close his eyes, still smirking.

“Your funeral…” Dewey muttered, before thrusting his small hands forwards, releasing the Ice Shard attack.

The sharp blades stabbed into Manectric’s neck like bullets, each of them slicing into the skin and freezing it over, leaving the blot clotted and swollen. Manectric yowled, stumbling back and pawing at the spot where it had struck him.

He looked down at his paw, seeing red. He looked up at Dewey, panting.

“How… you’re not any…”

“Older than five…” His eyes widened. “Sobble… Litten…”

His look of surprise shifted to hatred. “You’re… YOU’RE…”

“YOU’RE THE CHILDREN OF THOSE ACCURSED SYNDICATE BASTARDS, AREN’T YOU?”

Dewey was stunned simply from the sheer volume of the Manectric’s outburst. The disgust and contempt oozed from every crevice on the larger mon’s canine visage, stunning the Sobble.

“No… I can’t sell you two. Nobody would want you. You have to die.”

His jaws opened, lightning crackling and sparking. “If you’re this strong at a young age… I can’t let you reach maturity.”

The glow brightened, the sky seemingly dimming as his power coalesced at his mouth. “Even if I’m a criminal… there are some evils I can’t forgive.”

He looked up at the sky one last time. “Arceus… you will thank me. Please forgive me.”

“RAGH!” he roared as, with a blinding flash, he threw his head forwards, a huge sparking beam of thunder racing towards Dewey, eyes widened, unable to protect himself or Klaw, it was–

The explosion rocked the forest, a dust cloud erupting from the earth as bits of grass and leaves and debris flew everywhere. Manectric panted as he felt the rush of wind blow by his face from the initial shockwave. The cloud was hazy, but he grinned. There was–

A wave of a red and black paw, too large to be a Litten’s.

The dust cleared.

And there stood an Incineroar.

Manectric’s eyes widened.

He turned to run.

“ARGH–” he screamed as two thin jets of water rocketed through his hind legs, flesh and blood from the wounds spraying across the otherwise pristine grass beneath him. He collapsed on the forest floor, but still he tried to flee, forelegs grabbing at blades of grass as he tried to crawl away.

“Sweetie… it appears we have a rather bad infestation around the boss’ mansion.”

An Inteleon, tall and slender, slipped out from a nearby bush. He shook off a droplet of water from his pointed index finger, grinning wickedly.

“Sure seems so, dear,” the Incineroar replied gruffly. He glanced behind him, at Dewey and Klaw, who hugged each other, looking up in awe and fear at their parents.

“Shall we take care of this… mess?”

“I don’t see why not~”

Manectric gasped, a blood trail dragging behind him. “No… please, I–”

Scorch calmly walked over to him, gripping the back of his head and slamming it into the ground. Manectric could only gasp as he snout was broken, battered, blood spurting from his nose and teeth coming loose as his skull hit the dirt over and over and over and over–

“Dear, we should ask him where he came from~” Riptide drawled.

Scorch gave the Manectric one last slam before holding up his head, looking him in the eye. “Talk.”

“Please, I–I only j–just e–e–escaped… Was looking for a way to r–repay my boss–”

“By killing our kids?” came the low growl of a reply.

“No, I–”

Scorch punched his face, sending him sprawling across the ground. Riptide leapt after him, foot winding behind him before kicking hard into Manectric’s ribcage, an audible crack followed by an agonized scream echoing through the clearing as Manectric rolled to a stop just a few feet away.

“That’s what I thought.” Riptide walked over, kneeling beside the still Manectric.

“What’s your–”

“He’s unconscious, honey.”

“Oh.”

Riptide grabbed the Manectric’s neck, holding it up before shooting a liquid bullet into his eye. Blood sprayed onto his hand as Manectric jolted awake, a blood-curdling scream following close after.

“What’s your name.”

“C–Circuit! M–M–Manectric Circuit!” the canine gasped. Riptide threw him forwards, the dog landing painfully on his already broken ribcage with a cry. His one good eye leaked tears, and a strange stench filled the air.

Scorch joined Riptide by his side. “Disgusting… at least you could die with grace…”

“Oh, let’s have some fun with him first, eh?” Riptide said, a cruel grin on his face.

“Who said I was gonna make it quick?” Scorch smirked.

“P–Pl–Ple–”

“Who do you work for?”

“I–”

Scorch make a tugging gesture with his fingers, and Riptide nodded. They circled around, Scorch placing his hands on Circuit’s broken hindlegs, as Riptide grabbed his jaw with both hands.

“Talk. Now.”

“S–Servine Ivy–”

“That’s all I needed to know.”

Riptide, with a single finger, sliced through Circuit’s throat. A shallow cut, leaving the dog gasping for air, but not enough to sever his windpipe, only his vocal chords and a few arteries. A pool of blood began to form beneath the Manectric, who spasmed and writhed, paws clawing useless against Riptide’s iron grip.

“Oh, I’m not gonna let you bleed out. That would be… too easy–” Riptide said, as he began to pull, Scorch holding tightly onto the hind legs.

Circuit wanted to scream, but he could not.

The skin grew taut, the fur thinning as muscles tore, as the gurgling reached a climax.

Circuit’s eyes widened.

Heralded by an eruption of blood, Riptide tugged hard, and the muscles gave way as he ripped the head straight off its shoulders, neck skin tearing and bone cracked as the spine ripped off, shards of bone and droplets fluid dripping onto the puddle already soaking the dirt beneath the now limp and headless body.

Riptide smirked, holding the head with one hand and peering at it closely with a thoughtful expression. Circuit stared back, eyes not seeing.

“I wonder… is that enough, you think?” he asked, tossing the head to Scorch, who caught it by the snout. He held it up over his head, letting some blood drip in before his other hand reached up, grasping the spine and crushing it. His paw dripped with blood as some shards fell into his mouth, his tongue licking his lips to taste every part of his kill.

“I dunno…” he looked into the empty, pained expression Manectric wore. “Is it?”

He held it at arm’s length, Riptide pointing his finger at the head.

“Boom.”

The head blasted open, practically evaporating as brain matter and bone shards and an explosion of blood drenched the pair. The green around them was painted a murky brown-red as they walked towards each other.

Riptide raised a hand, smearing his thumb across Scorch’s cheek and placing it in his mouth, smiling with half-lidded eyes. “I agree, dear~”

Scorch smiled, leaning in and pecking Riptide on the cheek himself, before appearing to remember something.

He turned to the kids.

“We’re going. Now.”

Dewey and Klaw could only stare in horror at the scene before them. The beheaded, bloodied, almost unrecognizable body of Circuit lay in a growing lake of blood. The forest seemed to shy away from the carnage, their parents so completely soaked that they seemed as red as the grass below them.

Dewey glanced down. A single eyeball looked up at him, veins popping as it stared emptily at him.

It splattered as a red foot crushed it. Dewey glanced up fearfully, seeing Scorch loom over him.

“We. Are. Going.”

Riptide and Scorch turned and began to walk away.

Dewey and Klaw looked to each other.

They looked at Circuit’s body.

They quickly got up and followed their parents.

What other choice did they have?

---

“…It appears that they now know, master.”

“It was about time. What is the report?”

“They were completely unable to overpower the outlaw, but displayed higher levels of strength than would other Litten and Sobble at their age.”

“Excellent. It seems they have the same potential their parents display.”

“Their parents seem displeased, however. They–”

“I can deal with them. They answer to me, and me alone.”

“…I understand, master.”

“Go tend to the children. Ensure they are not wounded. I have… plans for them.”

“Of course…”

“Master Polaris.”