Chapter Three: Polaris

Hope found herself being shepherded through a maze of doors, rooms and staircases. It was a whirlwind of new sights: walls that appeared to be made out of pure crystal, staircases that were so shiny she could see her reflection in them, and doors ornately decorated with silver trimmings. She could hear a smooth waltz record being played faintly in the distance.

The thing that stood out to Hope the most, though, was the occasional glimpses of other Pokemon she caught along the way. There was a black and red weasel Pokemon with a gigantic scar over its left eye, a red and black crocodile Pokemon wearing bright golden sunglasses, a red insectoid Pokemon with what appeared to be a wooden stick replacing its right leg, and a blue-and-yellow canine Pokemon wearing a diamond-studded collar. They all turned and stared at Hope as she made her way through, their hard, cold eyes piercing through her.

The stark contrast of the threatening aura that these Pokemon gave off and the shining, pristine look of the mansion made chills run down Hope’s spine.

The single reassurance that Hope currently had was that Klaw and Dewey were closely tailing her. They still looked quite uneasy, but the simple fact that there were a couple of familiar faces nearby made Hope feel a tad bit better.

After what felt like an eternity of walking, the group finally arrived at what must be the bottom floor of the mansion. There was only a single door there, and it was also the most ornately decorated. Both gold and silver lined its silhouette, and the trimmings were studded with a variety of precious gems; rubies, sapphires, diamonds, and pearls. Smack dab in the center of the door was the same snowflake logo that Hope had been seeing everywhere within the last thirty minutes. Right below the logo, there was a small golden plaque.

BOSS POLARIS’S ROOM, it read, in words so shiny it was almost like they were made out of wet ink.

Scorch and Riptide turned towards Hope. “Now, dearie. You better be good for the boss, you hear us?” Riptide trilled.

“Indeed, darling.” Scorch chimed in. “The boss is the last Pokemon you’d want to set off. So be a good girl for him, got it?”

Hope had to fight off every urge in her cells to not tell Scorch and Riptide off for constantly calling her ‘dearie’ and ‘darling’. That stuff creeped her out to her core. But these were adult Pokemon, at least three times bigger than her. There was no telling what they would be able to do to her if she spoke out against them. So she simply looked up at them, swallowed, and nodded. “Yes, sirs.”

The adults nodded. Then they turned towards their sons. “You know, you don’t have to be here for this, boys.” Scorch purred.

Dewey looked up at his father. “N-no. W-we w-want to be h-here.”

Riptide collapsed his hands together. “Really? Why do you want to watch as Boss Polaris interrogates a girl you two just met?”

Klaw looked down at the marble floor. “Well… we were the ones who found her. I guess that we just want to make sure that she’s alright, you know?”

“That’s very sweet of you two.” Scorch replied. “But don’t you worry. Boss Polaris is going to be real gentle with her.”

And with those words, Scorch pressed the large silver buzzer near the edge of the door.

Hope’s heart began to beat extremely fast. What is this ‘Boss Polaris’ like? , she thought to herself. And more importantly, what does he want from me?

“Coming!” a thick, posh voice sounded from behind the door. There was some rustling of papers, then some hurried footsteps. Then the door slowly began to open.

On the other side of the door was a bipedal purple Pokemon. It had upwards-turned spiral horns and some white markings on its upper chest, hands, and legs. It also wore a light blue tie and a silver belt studded with rhinestones. In its hands were a few sheets of paper. It surveyed the group with a solemn face before it noticed Klaw and Dewey. “Oh! Young Masters Klaw and Dewey! Quite a pleasure to see you down here!”

Klaw and Dewey also perked up upon seeing the purple Pokemon. But before they could say anything to it, Riptide interjected.

“Now, now, boys. There’s no time to be chit-chatting with Mr. Norman right now. You can do that when we finish our business.”

The purple Pokemon, whom Hope assumed was the aforementioned Mr. Norman, turned to face Scorch and Riptide, the solemn expression returning to his face. “Good day to you too, Master Scorch and Master Riptide. Why are you here at Master Polaris’s room?”

“Well, you see, Norman, it’s about this little doll right here.” Scorch answered, gesturing to Hope. “The boys found her in the Great Tree Hollow, and Riptide and I think that Boss Polaris would find her…. very, very interesting.”

Norman looked at Hope, then back at Scorch and Riptide. “So you want to bring in this Pokemon that you all have just met to converse with the boss? I must say, that sounds rather odd, especially coming from you two.”

“Trust us, Norman.” Riptide said. “She will be very useful for Boss Polaris’s plans.”

Plans? What plans ? Hope was beginning to feel very queasy.

Norman nodded. “Well, you two are Master Polaris’s right-hand men for a reason.” He stepped aside and gestured to the inside of the room. “Master Polaris is currently in the middle of his afternoon soak. But when he is done, I will bring him out to converse with this girl.”

With that, Norman swiftly turned and reentered the room, with the group following suit.

When she stepped into the room, Hope was nearly blinded by the glare of the crystals that the room seemed to be completely covered with. The walls, the floor, the bookshelf in the upper right hand corner of the room, the door that Hope assumed led to Boss Polaris’s bath… everything in this room seemed to be layered in snowflake-like crystals. Straight in the center of the room was a large throne, made of pure silver.

A million questions were running through Hope’s head. But she was unable to voice any of them. The queasy feeling was overtaking her entire body. The reminder that she would be ruining a very, very expensive carpet was the only thing stopping Hope from vomiting right then and there.

She looked at Klaw and Dewey, hoping that they could maybe help ease the tension. But the looks on their faces told her that they were just as sick and nervous as she was. Scorch and Riptide clearly noticed the sour mood that was permeating from all three children. But they did nothing to dispel it. Instead, they just leaned against the crystal-studded wall and crossed their arms. It was almost like they were taking pleasure from the anxiety of the children.

After what felt like ten centuries, the door at the far left edge of the room opened, and Norman peeked his head out. “Master Polaris will be outside and ready to converse with you in a few seconds.” Then the door closed again.

Hope was starting to enter a full-on panic attack. What kind of monstrous beast was this Boss Polaris going to look like? She tried her hardest to relax herself. She didn’t want to be showing any kind of weakness near Boss Polaris.

The door opened again, and Norman stepped out. In his hands he was carrying a large, white, fluffy pillow. Seated upon the pillow was a small, white larva Pokemon. Its shell had a crystalline appearance, and it wore a small monocle that also appeared to be made out of crystal. Norman walked over to the throne and set the pillow down on top of it.

You have got to be kidding me right now.

A small guffaw escaped Hope’s chest. The guffaws quickly increased in number, and the more her laughter increased, the more her anxiety and tension drained away. Soon she had descended into a full-on laughing fit.

She knew that laughing in front of the boss could be a potentially fatal mistake. This was proven further by Klaw and Dewey staring at her like she had suddenly developed multicolored spots. But she couldn’t help herself. How in the world was she supposed to take a barely-one-foot-tall grub Pokemon seriously?!

Scorch and Riptide moved forward with their arms stretched out, clearly planning to stop her. But before they could do anything, Polaris spoke for the first time.

“Let her be.” the boss commanded. His voice was squeaky, but there was something about it that gave it an intimidating air. “I have gotten used to the laughter by now. It gives me strength.”

Scorch and Riptide turned to face Polaris. “Are you sure, Boss? She’s insulting you.” Scorch asked.

Polaris did what Hope could only assume was a nod. “When you are a weak, tiny little Snom such as myself, you tend to get laughed at a lot. Most of our species let it weigh them down. I, however, have learned to revel in the laughter. It’s part of how I got to where I am today.” Polaris then turned towards Norman. “Can you please pour me a glass of the Oran Brew?”

Norman quickly ran over to one of the cabinets and pulled out a bottle of bluish-purple liquid and a curved, crystal-studded glass. He popped open the cork on the bottle and began to pour the liquid into the glass. It filled the room with a thick, pungent smell, causing Hope, Klaw, and Dewey to wrinkle their noses. Norman then closed the bottle, put it back, located a nearby stool, then returned to Polaris’s throne, setting the glass on the stool and placing it in front of him.

Polaris inched his tiny body halfway off of the pillow and halfway onto the stool. His front legs latched around the glass, pulled himself up to the rim, and took a long, hearty glug of the Oran Brew. When he was finished with his sip, he plopped back onto the pillow and let out a big sigh of contentment. “Ah, that hits the spot.” He then turned back towards the group. “So, what is the reason for this audience today?”

“Well, Polaris,” Riptide said. “There’s someone we’d like to introduce to you. He then crouched down and poked Hope in the side of the chest with his elbow. “Go on, sweetheart. Introduce yourself.”

Hope looked up at the Snom gazing down on her from his throne of crystal. “M-my name is Hope.”

“Hope. What a lovely-sounding name.” Polaris mused. “Why have you come before me today, little Hope?”

Scorch looked down at Hope. “Tell him what you really are, sweetheart.”

Polaris was now looking down at Hope with an icy glare. It made some of the queasiness return to her stomach. He’s just a Snom. Just a weak larva Pokemon , she told herself. So she swallowed and looked back up at Polaris.

“T-the thing is… I’m actually a human.” Hope said. “I don’t know how or why I became a Pokemon, but I know for sure that I was once a human.”

The silence in the room was deafening. Then, Polaris began to laugh. It was a horrible, awful-sounding laugh, at least two tones deeper than his regular voice. The booming laugh practically shook the walls.

“Excellent… Oh, this is quite excellent indeed!” Polaris laughed. The laughter continued for what must have been a solid five minutes. Finally, he stopped and peered back down at Hope.

“Hope… As you can see, I am not like other members of my species.” he intoned.

I’ve very much gotten that by now, thank you very much, Hope thought to herself. She didn’t want to say that out loud, however. What came out of her mouth was “Of course, sir”.

“Unlike others of my kind, I have thoroughly educated myself. As you can see,” Polaris said, gesturing to the bookshelf in the corner, “I have spent much time reading and learning about the oddities of our world. I specifically have done much research on humans.”

Hope perked up. “You have?! Do you know how this could have happened to me?”

Maybe Polaris could help her figure out how she became this way. Maybe he could help her turn back into a human. Maybe he could help her figure out who she really was.

“No, I do not know how this could have happened to you.” Polaris answered.

Hope’s heart sank.

“What I do know, however,” Polaris continued, “is that humans are extraordinarily powerful. Some records say that the potential they hold is up to seven times stronger than the average Pokemon. And to have all of this power right here in front of me, in this tiny little body…” Polaris made what looked like a smirk at Hope. “You will be a very valuable asset for the Absolute Zero Syndicate.”

“The… Absolute Zero Syndicate?” Hope tilted her head. “What are you talking about?”

Polaris let out a small chuckle. Then he turned towards Scorch and Riptide. “Scorch, Riptide. I’m guessing that you didn’t explain to Hope what exactly we do here?”

Scorch and Riptide looked at each other, then at Klaw and Dewey. “We thought that the boys would have explained it to her.” Scorch said with a sly smile. Klaw and Dewey looked like they were about to expel their lunches out of their stomachs.

“I see.” Polaris nodded. He then turned back to Hope. “This place, my dear Hope,” he said, “is the headquarters for the largest crime organization on the continent, the Absolute Zero Syndicate, or AZS for short. And I am but its humble leader.”

Crime… organization…?

The most deafening silence that Hope had ever felt followed. Suddenly, a large chime went off:

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Everybody jumped a little, but Polaris soon relaxed. “Ah, that must be the nighttime bell.” He then faced the group again. “It seems like it has become late. We must all head off to our beds now.” He then realized something. “Do we have a room set up for our lovely guest?”

Norman was about to answer, but Klaw and Dewey answered first.

“She can stay in our room.” Klaw answered.

“Y-yeah! W-we h-have p-plenty of s-space! W-we can d-definitely fit a-another b-bed in t-there.” Dewey said.

Hope would have thanked them, but she was still trying to process the situation that she had just been dropped into. Instead, she gave a small nod of affirmation.

“Very well.” Polaris nodded. “Norman, please set up a bed for Hope in Klaw and Dewey’s room. And the boys can show her the way there themselves.”

Norman nodded and quickly made his way out of the room. Hope was about to follow him, but Polaris called after her.

“Now, Hope. When you are meeting with me, you must wait for me to dismiss you.”

A few awkward seconds passed. Then Polaris nodded. “You all can leave now.” He then let out a small chuckle. “Arceus, that always feels good.”

Scorch and Riptide turned to Klaw and Dewey. “Well then, boys. Show her the way.” Riptide trilled.

“Yes, Daddy.” Klaw replied.

Scorch and Riptide smiled, then walked out of the room together. Klaw and Dewey turned towards the door next.

“F-follow us, H-Hope.” Dewey said.

Hope complied silently, and the three were soon on their way. It was a very awkward and silent walk. Nobody knew what to say to each other. After what felt like forever, they finally reached Klaw and Dewey’s room, which was on the topmost floor of the mansion.

The door was already open, and Hope could see Norman inside, fluffing up a mass of bedding. Klaw cleared his throat.

Norman turned and looked up with surprise. “Oh! There you all are! I’ve just finished setting up Hope’s bedding.” He gestured to the inside of the room. “Come on in.”

The three children entered the room. There were a lot of toys in there. Some looked like they hadn’t been touched at all, while others looked like they were about to fall apart.

Norman nodded. “You all should get to bed now. Young children like you need as much rest as possible.” He then began to head out of the room. “Rest well, little ones.”

Hope waited until Norman had closed the door and his footsteps were echoing far off in the distance. Then she turned to face Klaw and Dewey. “What is wrong with you guys?!” she hissed, all of the anger and shock that had been accumulating inside of her for the past fifteen minutes pouring out.

Klaw and Dewey just blinked at her. There were a lot of emotions in their eyes: fear, sadness, regret. But they said nothing.

Hope continued, “You guys seriously dragged me to the headquarters for a crime organization ?! With someone who clearly wants to use me? Someone who could very easily put me in danger?!”

Klaw and Dewey still said nothing.

Hope was yelling now. “I mean, this is a place for criminals ! These Pokemon have probably done some nasty things! Why in your right mind do you think that I should be living here?” An awful thought entered her mind. “Did you guys intend to send me to Polaris all along?! Did you guys even have any concern for me in the first place?!”

Finally, Klaw regained his courage. He stepped forward and yelled, “Well, what about us ?! Do you think that we wanted to be a part of this?! Do you think we asked to be born to a couple of thugs?! Do you think we wanted to take part in robberies and other petty crimes?!”

“Y-yeah!” Dewey said, stepping forward to join his brother. “D-do you t-think we w-wanted to l-live in a c-crime o-organization’s h-headquarters?! N-No! B-but it’s the o-only p-place we’ve g-got. A-and for n-now, it’s the o-only p-place you’ve got, too.”

Silence emanated through the room. Then, in perfect sync with each other, Klaw and Dewey each let out a great, big, yawn. They then looked at each other, then back at Hope.

“It’s getting late.” Klaw said, rubbing his eyes. “We don’t have enough energy to continue this. We’ll go into more detail in the morning. Good night.” And with another synchronized yawn, he and Dewey had plopped down face-first onto their beddings and were soon sound asleep.

Hope stood there in stunned silence. A large wave of regret was washing over her. She badly wanted to apologize to Klaw and Dewey. But the wave of regret was receding, and in its place was an even larger, crashing wave of sleepiness.

I’ll apologize in the morning , she decided, letting out a large yawn herself.

With that, she crashed into her bedding and let slumber overtake her.