Burns Like Beautiful Poison
by MalwareBirb404It was a new morning within the Third Layer of Inferno’s maw, or at least that’s what Brine could assume. The Inteleon wasn’t used to spending so much time underground, even if he had only arrived the day before. All times of day looked the same to him as the stagnant purple glow lingered in the air. He didn’t like it. His accommodations however were more tolerable, having slept in worse places than what amounted to an attic. Nearly every surface was covered in dust, and the wooden panels that made up the floor creaked with every step he took.
He stood up and began to stretch, cracking his back as it had grown stiff over the night. Brine made a mental note to not sleep on top of the wooden crates anymore.
“Still not the worst sleep I’ve had though,” he thought. After all, he finally had some space to himself. And anytime he could get that was a godsend to the Inteleon. Regardless, he was the first one awake amongst the group of pokemon. But the individuals making up said group were something else he wasn’t fond of.
Opening the hatch leading to the stairs out of the attic, Brine made his way downstairs. Quietly entering the room below, he found Scorch fast asleep on the stone floor of the otherwise mostly barren room.
In the time that Brine had known Scorch, he couldn’t really say that he grew to hate him. But Brine had felt that the Emboar was a poor leader. He had witnessed many of Scorch’s bandits go behind his back and do things he likely wouldn’t approve of. Sure, if they got caught they would be harshly reprimanded. But Brine had worked for leaders like Scorch before, ones who only used intimidation to make their teams fall in line. In the long run, this usually served to create and harbor resentment amongst their subordinates, along with the incentive to simply not get caught.
Brine sighed before quietly walking towards the next set of stairs leading to the bottom floor. There was a table, and a bookshelf propped up against a brick wall. Brine remembered that the path behind the wall was how they entered, and was curious if there were any other secrets the house held. But then there was the proverbial Copperajah in the room, as Bella and Hunter were passed out on the floor beside one another.
Quickly, his thoughts were brought to Bella. Many choice words came to mind if he were asked to describe the Salazzle, a ‘scheming, manipulative harlot’ forefront among them. No boundaries, no discipline, and no respect for anything within her general vicinity. But what he found most irritating was that she had no issue just releasing her sickeningly sweet scented mist anywhere she felt like. All because of Hunter. Speaking of…
‘A complete dullard whose only use is to hit things’ pretty much summed up Brine’s description of the Garchomp. He watched as the large land shark laid asleep beside Bella as his bestial snores rattled the room.
“The Salazzle Infatuate and Manipulate Process at work…” He thought.
However he soon realized that Umbral was nowhere to be found. But going off what he had seen, Brine could assume that the Gengar was to Scorch, that Bella was to him. Irritating.
He couldn’t get a good read on him, the ghost type’s Cheshire grin making it difficult to tell what he was thinking. Brine thought back to the previous day when he had agreed to play a game of cards with him, but still couldn’t deduce whether or not Umbral had let him win.
“And now I’m stuck here with them…” Brine thought, bridging his forehead with his fingers. He never liked working with bandits, but they did tend to pay him the most. After all, money was money. No matter who it comes from.
With nothing to do, Brine sat on the steps, only for Umbral to appear from another room beside the stairs. The violet ghost marched out with a wide grin on his face, holding up two iron pans. He glanced up at Brine, his crimson glare narrowing into something more sinister as he began to quietly chuckle.
A single twitch formed in Brine’s eye as Umbral slowly spread his arms apart in preparation to bash the pans together. “Don’t you dare, you little-”
“Breakfast?” He heard the Gengar ask.
“Uh- Brine, was it?” Asked Umbral. “You taking to the underground alright? Cause you don’t look too good.”
Brine stared at the ghost before messaging his temple. “Sure… breakfast is fine.”
As the five pokemon sat around the table, Hunter grumpily watched as the others ate. He had already scarfed down the bread he was given, but he was still hungry and couldn’t help but stare at the others’ food as they ate. Catching a glimpse of this, Bella held her bread to the dragon type. However when he reached for it, Bella quickly pulled back her hand before tearing off a small piece and giving that to Hunter instead.
The Garchomp was not amused by this, but took the piece anyway. ‘She’d make it up to him, right?’ At least that’s what Hunter thought as Bella smugly ate her much larger piece in front of him. Brine rolled his eyes at the sight, prompting a sight huff from Hunter. He then turned his attention towards Scorch, who was clearly angry about something. However he was being very quiet about it, stewing in a silent rage as the flames around his neck whipped about more than normal.
Scorch thought back to the previous day, having gone out to get a drink. But instead opted to wander the streets for a while, as the thought of drinking in the Third Layer brought Leone to the front of his mind. And by corollary, Hearth. And more importantly, what he had done to her.
The happenings of that day swirled through his head like a storm, flashing in and out, most of it a blur. A vague memory where one could only recall the time of day and the aftermath of direct events. Only three or four things stuck out to Scorch that served to make sure he knew it wasn’t just a dream. He remembered wanting to talk at first, even waiting for the Ninetales to approach. But the next thing he knew, she was trying to run away and he had stomped on her tails to prevent it…
The next moment, his hands were around her neck.
But it was what Hearth said to him at that moment that would continue to haunt him… the last, raspy words that she said. ‘May… your downfall… be by your own… hands…’
It was widely believed that harming the tails of a Ninetales would result in a curse befalling the offender. And within the past decade, it was something that would occasionally pop up in Scorch’s mind. He just wanted to talk to her…
Scorch was a pokemon with few regrets. But if there was one thing he could take back, it would be that day. The day he killed his best friend.
The Emboar snapped back to reality, angrily taking a bite of the bread that had toasted in his heated grasp. The atmosphere grew more tense as the others stared at him. No one dared to say a word to Scorch, who seemed one wrong word away from popping a blood vessel. Very few things scared Hunter, but something about seeing the Emboar in this state while close up admittedly made him uneasy.
Stepping outside of the house, Hunter followed Bella who wanted some fresh air, granted ‘fresh’ was a word to be used lightly when describing the air of her former home. Stagnant and stale were more accurate, but the distinct scent was strangely nostalgic to the Salazzle. But not so much so, she hadn’t missed the desert city that badly.
“Scorch needs to lighten the hell up. It’s fucking suffocating, being there when he’s like that,” Bella said as she put her arms behind her head.
Hunter simply grunted in response, as his mind was still lingering on the less than satisfactory meal from before. He glanced at Bella as the two continued to walk, mostly tuning out the lizard’s words.
“And I don’t know how the hell I’m gonna make that money back! I mean the only reason I even came here was because of that stupid Honchkrow!” Bella huffed.
“Sixty five thousand poké! I swear, at the time I thought- …Hey dumbass, are you listening to me?!”
“Huh?” Hunter said with a confused look on his face.
Bella put her hands together in front of her snout, inhaling deeply. “Hunter… we need to find money , because of the arena you wrecked,” she slowly said in a patronizing manner.
Hunter shot the Salazzle with an irritated glare to remind her that the incident was her idea in the first place.
“Don’t give that look, you agreed to it,” Bella retorted, glancing away from the Garchomp. Hunter raised a claw in response, but said nothing. He didn’t remember agreeing to Bella’s plan to mess with the match. Gritting his teeth, he continued to think as he walked alongside Bella.
Seeing this, a smirk appeared across Bella’s face. Honestly she forgot whether or not she had spoken to Hunter about it, but that didn’t matter.
“That should keep things calm for a while,” Bella thought.
As Bella and Hunter made their way through the busy streets of Inferno’s Maw, Hunter began to notice the way some of the surrounding pokemon looked at them. A few whispered to each other while others would shoot glares of ire at them, or more specifically at Bella.
“There’s no way that’s really her, right?”
“Well she’s not the only Salazzle-”
“Trust me… it’s her.”
“I thought she left, the hell’s she doing here?”
The Salazzle paid them no mind however, in fact if Hunter didn’t know any better he’d say she was even enjoying the attention she was getting. The poison type’s grin grew ever so slightly, turning to wink at one of the pokemon.
In response, the Ambipom picked up a small rock with one of the hands attached to their tails before throwing it. Bella slipped out of the way, letting the rock hit Hunter’s side instead. The Garchomp gritted his teeth, tuning his head towards the offending pokemon. “Who was it?” He growled.
The purple monkey quickly stepped back, turning his head as the Zangoose next to him did the same.
“Don’t worry about it,” Bella said as she caressed the dragon type’s side, turning her head towards the two pokemon with a wide grin on her face.
“I’m sure it won’t happen again.”
Sable and Aegis sat opposite to each other at a large stone table, while between them was a checker-pattern board with a number of game pieces. Aegis stared intently at the board as his claws dug into the table, the Aggron gritting his teeth noting how he had so few pieces left compared to Sable. The Mismagius on the other hand hadn’t so much as flinched since she ended her turn, and was already scanning the board for any possible future moves.
Aegis grabbed a piece with the tips of his claws and moved it forward, only for Sable to immediately counter his move. “Check,” she calmly said.
The Aggron growled before taking a swig from his mug. However he got no response from the ghost type, who would normally be the first to remark about his day drinking.
Getting a better look at her, Sable was uncharacteristically sad, and Aegis knew very well why. “Yeah, it’s not the same around here without him, is it?” He asked before taking another swig.
“…No. It’s not,” Sable somberly replied.
“Ya really think Mason was killed?”
“I am certain of it,” the Mismagius said, a tinge of anger in her voice.
A low growl escaped Aegis’ jaws as he turned. “When you find who did this I-”
“As much as I would like to, Shale asked for this to be handled quietly,” Sable cut him. But before she could continue, a loud rumble echoed from outside.
Normally when stepping out onto the streets of the Fifth Layer, there wasn’t much to see other than the massive pillair rising from its center. But this time, there was a flame-headed monkey with brown and white fur in the midst of trying to hunt down a Drifblim Sable immediately recognized as Zephyr.
“Ignis!”
The Infernape froze before quickly turning towards Sable. Seeing the less than approving look on her face, Ignis soon put two and two together before raising a palm to his face.
“ Ohhhhh , they’re with- Okay, gotcha!”
Sable continued her look of disapproval at the monkey, asking herself why Shale had let him join them. While she did admit that the Infernape had his uses, she had also quickly grown tired of him and his rambunctious antics. Sable hoped that Ignis would change on a count of him being new, but being new wasn’t an excuse to act erratically.
Ignis liked to fight. Plain and simple. He was also the youngest of the elites, and his way of doing things often clashed with Sable’s own. Although to his credit, he stayed out of Sable’s way when it came to conducting her business.
She was then approached by Zephyr, who handed her a note. Using Psychic on the small paper, Sable opened it up and began to read it.
“…Interesting,” she said to herself.
“What’s going on?” Asked Aegis, Zephyr drifting to the side as he slowly approached.
Sable smirked, “Umbral is on his way… And he’s bringing someone.”
It was later in the morning when Umbral, Scorch, and Brine emerged from a tunnel on the side of the Fourth Layer. Stone buildings lined the streets much like the layer above, but they all appeared to be better maintained. The tower in the center of the city was also now much closer at this point, looming over everything with its immortal presence.
Scorch glanced around, as he could count the number of times he’d been here on one hand. It all felt strangely new to him, but then again he hadn’t stepped foot within the city for two decades. This prompted Scorch to look down at the gold band on his arm, and the temporal remnant within it. He remembered Sable had given it and the spatial remnant to him all those years ago, only to be reminded of Hearth once again.
He could never prove the Ninetales had stolen the remnant from him, but he had strong suspicion that she did. She knew where he kept it, was one of the few pokemon on the team brave enough to talk back to him, and just happened to disappear with Nyx the day it went missing.
“Even now you still find a way to get back at me…”
“What was that?” Umbral asked, turning back towards the Emboar.
This earned him a sharp glare from Scorch that could sheer through stone. Umbral paid no mind to this however, continuing to lead Scorch and Brine to their next destination.
Upon walking down a wide street, the three reached the inner edge of the Fourth Layer. Scorch and Brine noticed that there was a suspicious lack of activity compared to everywhere else they’ve seen in the rest of the layer. A large brick wall before them at the end of the street soon got their attention, but more importantly the metal gate standing within it.
In front of the gate stood three pokemon. A Noivern and Flygon were posted at either side, while a tired Aegis loitered about before them. The black and purple bat turned his head towards the green, bug-like dragon. “Is he drunk?” He whispered.
“I don’t know, he’s always drunk,” the Flygon mouthed back.
“Wait, you mean he’s always like this?”
“You get used to it-”
“HEY!” Aegis yelled, causing the two dragon types to flinch. “Umbral, right?!” He continued before marching down the street, much to the duo’s relief.
Scorch, Brine, and Umbral watched as the large Aggron stomped towards them with an unusually friendly grin on his metallic face. Grabbing Umbral’s hand, he shook it vigorously before his attention shifted towards the others. It was then that they noticed Aegis’ expression change into something more serious. His eyes locked with Scorch’s before looking down at the band on the Emboar’s arm.
“I take it you’re Scorch then?”
“Yeah,” the fire type flatly answered.
The two stepped around Umbral, still looking each other dead in the eyes. “Aegis. Not sure if Sable ever spoke of me to you,”
The Aggron said as he leaned closer, the stench of his alcohol-laden breath filling the air around Scorch’s face. But the leader of Team Raiders refused to be intimidated. As while Aegis was still a good deal larger than him, he still held a type advantage over the reptile. But he still knew better than to provoke one the elites of Inferno’s Maw, as there was still a clear reason why they ran the city.
It also came to Scorch’s attention that Aegis had a band of his own, as high up around his arm was a bronze ring similar to his. Only instead of a remnant, it carried a round gray stone with a silver helix in its center. The two pokemons’ staredown lasted for a short while longer until Aegis stepped back and snickered, nearly hitting Scorch with his heavy tail as he turned around to march towards the gate.
“He’s got that same nasty frown as her,” Aegis muttered to himself.
The three followed Aegis to the gate as the two dragon types opened it. Behind were a number of flights of stone stairs, separating into different landings carved out from the ledge they were built into. The final layer of Inferno’s Maw lay beneath them, and Scorch wasn’t sure how to feel. He knew that the bottom layer was practically off-limits to anyone other than the elites, that is unless they were invited. Umbral had been somewhat vague with him on the exact purpose of this meeting, but whatever it was had to be big.
Scorch huffed as he continued to walk down the stairs, mentally cursing himself with each step. “No!” He thought as the flames around his neck began to flare up in activity. “…This is your one chance to fix everything.”
Reaching the bottom of the steps, the sheer scale of the city’s central pillar was the first thing that stuck out to Brine as he followed the others down. But his attention soon turned to the brick structure built into the side of the pillar.
“City or not, I didn’t think the pokemon in charge of this shithole would have a meeting hall,” the Inteleon thought as two other pokemon came into view, a Mismagius, and an Infernape.
The ladder pacing back and forth out of boredom, while Sable hovered in place as she kept a close eye on the approaching pokemon. Brine could feel the tension building as the two groups stood before each other, particularly between Scorch and Sable.
Ever since they had passed the gates at the top, the Inteleon could tell that something was bothering Scorch. Despite his upright and composed demeanor, the once proud flames around his neck appeared weaker than normal. As if they were trying to hide from the Mismagius in front of him. And from the way the two looked at one another, Brine knew the two likely had some choice words for one another.
“Sable!” Umbral gleefully exclaimed, jolting Brine out of his thoughts.
Quickly floating between Scorch and his fellow ghost type, the Gengar opened his arms. His wide smile widened. “How long has it been?!”
“Too long,” Sable answered with a small grin, before looking past Umbral and right into Scorch’s eyes. “ Much too long.”
Turning towards the other elites, she gestured towards the meeting hall, prompting Aegis and Ignis to walk inside. As they did, Ignis glanced back at Scorch with a grin and a glint in his eye. This left her, Umbral, Scorch, and Brine outside.
“Umbral, tell me the meaning of this. Now,” Sable demanded.
The Gengar’s smile quickly shrank as he put up his hands. “Well we ran into each other a while back, and I thought he could come along. Ain’t that right?” Umbral said, turning to quickly jab Scorch with his elbow.
Scorch said nothing, his focus solely on Sable.
Unamused, the stone-faced Mismagius floated past Umbral to face Scorch directly. “Twenty Three years. That is how long it has been since we last saw each other, Scorch,” Sable flatly remarked.
“I gave you a job, and you didn’t come back. Would you care to explain?”
“…It’s a long story,” the Emboar answered as his eyes shifted away from Sable. But it was then he could see her eyeing his arms, or rather the one missing its golden band.
“I see,” She snidely remarked before directing her attention towards Brine, who met her back with an expressionless gaze. “And him?”
“With me,” Scorch answered.
“What is your name?”
“Brine,” the blue lizard answered as Sable hovered closer to his face.
“Is something wrong?” He asked, remaining unmoving as the ghost type inspected him.
“No… You just don’t see a lot of water types around here.”
Sable backed away before making her way inside, leaving the three. Once she was out of view, Scorch’s flames flared back up to normal. However, his heart was racing as an amalgam of rage and shame coursed through him.
“You never told me you walked out on Sable…” Umbral said in a curious, yet snide tone as his smile widened. “I knew bringing you along would be interes-”
It was then that the Gengar was met with a searing flash of light, sending him flying back several feet. The blue glow of Scorch’s temporal remnant showed for all to see, his eyes mimicking the crystal as the flames around his neck and fist grew into a smoldering inferno.
The Emboar’s breathing was heavy and feral as he stood there solely focused on Umbral. His remnant flashed once again before he began to growl in pain, as glowing blue veins snaked their way up Scorch’s arm.
“What the hell was that fo-” Umbral said as he pulled himself up, only to see the state Scorch was in.
“Shut. Your. Mouth…” Scorch growled before the growing pain in his arm and head forced his outburst to end. The glow in his remnant and eyes faded as his flames returned to normal.
Umbral glanced past Scorch at Brine, who had earlier backed away from the raging Emboar. “H-Heh… heh heh… Good one, gave me a bit of a fright there Scorch. What do you say we head inside?”
Scorch didn’t respond as he caught his breath, as he could only think about what Sable said to him. ‘Twenty Three years. That is how long it has been since we last saw each other, Scorch,’ It echoed throughout his mind as he remembered what had happened. He could never bring himself to come back to Inferno’s Maw after Hearth and Nyx left. As Scorch had been effortlessly rising through the ranks when the two betrayed him, leaving just him and that Dragapult to lead the team. At least until ‘the incident’ occurred.
She had stolen from him. It was one thing to up and leave, but Hearth had taken the one thing keeping him ahead of the competition. But friend or not, he could never forgive her for that.
He then gave Umbral a look that silenced even the most rowdy members of Team Raiders. “Fine.”
Hunter was starting to get agitated. He hadn’t been keeping track of how long he’d been following Bella, instead being lost in his own thoughts. Something about Bella was bothering him, but he couldn’t seem to pin down what.
“…Was it about breakfast?” He thought before shaking his head. “No, she was just kidding. Don’t be stupid…”
The question still lingered in the Garchomp’s mind. “If it’s not about breakfast, then what?” Hunter shook his head again, letting out a slight growl as he did.
“We’re almost there,” Bella said, having noticed Hunter’s behavior. “It’s just… difficult to find a place. That hasn’t fucking banned me… ” She continued, keeping that last part to herself.
Scanning the crowded street, Bella’s eyes fell upon a path to her left with a large stone arch built overhead. However, leaning by the arch was an Incineroar. “So I see she still has goons,” Bella said to herself before an idea crossed her mind.
“Wait here,” she said as she walked towards the arch.
As Bella got closer, the Salazzle found herself getting stopped by the Incineroar while a second one stood off to the side, leaning against the wall. “Thought you fucked off outta the city.”
Bella looked up at the bipedal tiger and crossed her arms. “And here I thought you forgot about me.”
“I wish…” The Incineroar remarked, his claws bridging his forehead.
The cat turned his head towards his partner. “Sol! Tell her we’ve got a code pink.”
“Oh, I have my own code now?” Bella smugly asked as she raised a brow.
“Leave Bella. Now,” Flint growled, his tail swishing in aggravation.
“So it’s gonna be like that, huh?” The poison type said as she reached for one of the pheromone-laden vials around her belt. “You know, how is the ol’ puffball anyway?”
“Don’t even think about it-”
“Or what? You’ll toss me out in a heartbeat, right? Wouldn’t dream of it,” Bella said, dismissively cutting off the Incineroar.
Slowly, she stepped towards him. “Though you’re welcome to try…” She continued in a provocative tone.
A hiss escaped the Salazzle’s lips as her tail whipped from side to side, all while a pink mist with a red tint began to seep from her body. “But you see that guy over there?” Bella asked, pointing her thumb towards the street.
Flint narrowed his gaze, “The Garchomp? The fuck are you trying to-” But before he could finish, Bella slapped him in the stomach. Sweeping her palm through Flint’s dark fur.
Having lost his patience with the lizard, Flint grabbed her arm and pulled her off the ground. However this was much to Bella’s amusement, as an unapologetic grin lay plastered on her face.
“Listen here you venomous little shit. When Leone hears about this-”
“HUNTER!” Bella exclaimed.
Hearing Bella, Hunter turned towards the arch to see an Incineroar holding Bella up by the arm. Rage began to take over as he caught a whiff of something in the air, bearing his fangs as he stormed towards the two. He paid no mind to others around him, shoving other pokemon out of the way as he rushed to his beloved Bella.
A reddish-purple aura flooded over his body, using Dragon Rush before darting for the Incineroar. As if on queue Bella whipped her tail at Flint’s side, making him flinch and break his stance. She placed a hand on the fire type’s face before propelling herself off into the air. Landing behind the Incineroar, she left him to deal with Hunter before continuing on her way.
Making her way closer to the Silver Claw, Bella was met by six other pokemon. Some of which she recognized, one being the other Incineroar, as well as one of her past flings being amongst the group. But they all had the same expressions of anger and annoyance on their faces. Each had either heard of, seen, or were the brunt of Bella’s antics in the past. And this feeling of resentment was without a doubt the strongest from the pokemon in the center, Leone.
The Purugly thought she had washed her paws of that nuisance of a Salazzle years ago, but here she was in front of her once again. “Belladonna…” She said, angrily gritting her teeth. Bella quietly groaned, the sound of her full name causing a twitch in her eye. She hated that name, and it was enough that Brine and her wanted posters referred to her as such, and now the pokemon she had come here to taunt was doing the same.
Bella’s fist clenched as her tail whipped side to side. “Nice to see you too,” the Salazzle smugly answered, trying to mask her true feelings with this demeanor.
“I warned you to not return here,” Leone growled.
“This isn’t about the whole ‘mist thing’ is it?” Bella dismissively asked.
This earned her a piercing glare from Leone, who then stepped forward. “Amongst other reasons, yes. Yes it is.”
The Salazzle briefly thought about what Leone said as her eyes scanned the pokemon around her. “Is it so wrong to want to see how things held up while I was gone?”
“Well, you saw! Now get out!” A Druddigon spat, the blue and red dragon cracking their digits as he and a few others stepped closer to the poison type.
However they were interrupted by an Incineroar flying past the crowd, smashing into a nearby wall before landing face first on the ground. A large Garchomp with a metal collar around his neck walked up from behind Bella. He panted as his scales were stained with splotches of blood.
Smiling, Bella slowly walked towards the Druddigon. “See, here’s the thing. I don’t think I will.”
A reddish-pink mist wafted off her skin, once again catching Hunter’s attention. His breathing grew deeper as a guttural growl escaped his jaws. There was a predatory gleam in his eyes as his heart raced. The strong, sweet smell of the Salazzle’s mist permeated his mind.
To the others, Hunter looked borderline feral. His being was well above average size for his kind made most of the group think twice about making a move in retaliation. Garchomp were known to be fast, striking as hard as they could no matter what was in their way. However, ‘most’ was the key word in this situation.
The Druddigon angrily clenched their claws. “You know Belladonna, you’ve alays been a real fucking piece of work, you know that?”
“Draca. Don’t-” Leone interrupted.
“No. Elaborate,” Bella said as she crossed her arms.
“…I take it he’s your new one?” The dragon said, gesturing his head towards Hunter.
Bella smirked at their display, turning her back on the Druddigon and walking away. “Don’t tell me you’re still mad about what could’ve been.”
“You’re a parasite,” he said, rearing his arm back. The Druddigon’s claws glowed with energy as he used Dragon Claw.
But when he went to strike, his attack was met by another. His claws were stopped by Hunter as he used Dragon Claw as well. Shoving the opposing dragon’s arm to the side, Hunter then went for their head and grabbed their crimson jaws. The Druddigon fought back against his assailant, clawing against Hunter’s arms and torso as he began violently prying them open.
“So…” Bella said as she turned to face the others, placing a hand on her hip as Hunter continued with his stunt. “Here’s what’s gonna happen. I’m gonna come by later. And when I do, you’re gonna let me walk right through that door. Alright?”
Leone stood in shock, hearing an audible pop from the Druddigon’s jaw before they dropped to the ground. It was then Leone got a good look at Bella’s lavender eyes, only to see pure malice staring back. If she didn’t know any better, the Purugly could have sworn that Bella was enjoying this.
With that, Bella stopped producing mist as she whipped around and walked away. “Hunter, let’s go!”
But the Garchomp didn’t respond, simply standing over the fallen Druddigon with a glazed over look in his eyes. Sighing, Bella removed a vial containing liquid of a purplish-pink hue from her belt. She tossed it at Hunter’s feet, and it seemed to have an effect as he shook out of his current state before groggily turned towards Bella.
As the group watched Bella and Hunter leave, Leone rushed over towards the Druddigon. “Take him inside,” she said as she turned towards Flint who slowly picked himself up. Her eyes once again met Bella’s as the Salazzle turned her head back and winked.
Making her way back onto the street, Bella started laughing. “You saw the look on her face, right?!” She exclaimed, turning back towards Hunter.
However the Garchomp was not in a celebratory mood. “The red mist… You did it again, didn’t you?” He flatly asked as his finned arms trembled.
“And I’m sorry,” Bella responded, walking towards the dragon type before hugging his side. “Honestly, I should be thanking you for rushing in like that.”
Hunter felt somewhat conflicted. He wasn’t happy about Bella’s use of the red mist, as she said she wouldn’t do it again. “ But she was in trouble… ” He thought, glancing back at the arch.
“Come on, don’t make that face,” Bella said as she stepped away. “We’ve still got another stop to make.”
“And?” Hunter questioned.
“ And you’ll like this one.
Having entered the elites’ meeting hall, Scorch, Umbral and Brine were surprised at just how nice the inside looked in comparison to the rest of the city. But the trio reasoned that was to be expected. What wasn’t expected however was the temple-like appearance of the area, as patterns and images depicting events of times long past spread throughout the tawny, stone hall.
Brine looked around at what he assumed was a story of some kind, tracing his eyes up and down the tall hallway. Despite finding the decor interesting, the Inteleon couldn’t help but feel it was out of place from the rest of the city. Finding his attention turning back to Scorch, he saw the Emboar’s flames periodically grow and shrink the further they went in.
Umbral took notice of this and began to rub the side of his face. “You’re not gonna blow the fuck up in here are you?”
Scorch said nothing the three kept walking, however his flames seemed to reinvigorate at the question.
A pair large, iron doors stood before the trio, both of which remained open as four pokemon watched from the room ahead. Sable, Aegis, and Ignis sat at the sides of the rectangular, stone table. But at its head stood a towering reptile with stony, olive green skin. Several scuffs and scars laid across the rough surface, the Tyranitar having clearly their fair share of conflict. But most notably, was the belt he wore. On the center of its buckle was a round, green stone with a black and red helix.
With an unflinching glare, Shale gestured for the three pokemon to enter the room. Looking the three over, Tyranitar slowly sat down before turning his head towards Sable. “Them?” He curiously asked.
“Possibly,” Sable remarked, glancing at Scorch and Umbral.
“So… How is everybody?” Umbral asked to break the silence. “By the way, where’s Mason?”
Aegis, Sable, and Shale each briefly tensed up while Ignis gritted his teeth, the Infernape quickly waving his hand by his neck. The Gengar’s eyes shifted around before he put up his hands. “Was it something I said?”
“He’s dead,” Sable flatly answered.
Taking a deep breath, the Mismagius continued. “…And that is why you are here.”
“You want me to take his place?” Umbral questioned.
Hearing this, Scorch had to hold himself back with every fiber of his being from torching the room.
Catching the Emboar’s reaction, Umbral took the opportunity to have some fun. “No, no, I couldn’t…” He dramacity said as he held out his hands and closed his eyes.
“Out of all of our outside associates, you and your group are one of the best performing.”
“Well if you put it like that, I suppose I have no choice but to gladly accept,”
Sable then glanced between him and Scorch. “Good.”
She then turned her head towards the other elites before Ignis began to write something down. “Dammit, there’s still a spot left on here!” the Infernape said, drawing a scowl from Sable.
“A spot for what?” Umbral asked. “Are there other’s? You didn’t say there were-”
“Others? Yeah,” Ignis answered before hopping on the table. “I mean come the fuck on? What did you expect? You’re not the only one itching for this spot.”
Umbral’s eyes shifted to the side as he tapped his fingers together. “Well yeah, but the invite made me feel special.”
“Ignis…” Sable groaned.
“What? Did you wanna tell him?”
“Tell me what?” Umbral asked the Infernape.
It was then that the flame headed monkey displayed a grin a mile wide before jumping off the table in front of the Umbral and Scorch. “See this year, we’re doing recruiting a little different.”
“Each of us chose someone, and you’re all gonna compete with me in The Auction this year,” Ignis said with the giddy excitement of a little kid.
“Whoever makes it the furthest wins. The other’s have a bet going on, but I’d rather get in there myself.”
He then turned towards Scorch as his smile threatened to rival Umbral’s. “And we just happen to have an extra spot open…”
Scorch looked down at the paper Ignis’ hand clung to. “The moment I saw you, I knew I just had to fight you. It’d be a waste if you didn’t show,” he heard the monkey say.
Glancing at Umbral, the Emboar’s eyes then changed their focus towards Sable. “Put me in.”
Sable gave the Infernape a death glare as she floated up from her spot at the table. “I thought we agreed that I would handle the Most Sought After registry myself .”
“Sabe, come on…” Ignis said as he turned around “Let me have this. And besides, so what if you’re still pissed at him? You gotta let that shit go, it ain’t healthy.”
“Yesterday you literally hunted someone down, and beat them half to death after they stepped on your tail,” Sable argued.
“You’re missing the point.” Ignis remarked, hopping back on the table and pointing a finger at the ghost type.
“And just look at him! He’s perfect auction material! Aegis, back me up here!”
He was answered by a loud snort from the Aggron who then clacked his metallic jaws together as he arose from short lived slumber. “…Huh?”
Shale’s eye twitched before he let out an annoyed groan, and likely would have facepalmed if his arms were long enough. He slammed his tail on the floor behind him to get everyone’s attention. “Umbral, Scorch… and-”
“Brine,” the Inteleon said with a slight bow.
“Right. Go wait outside.”
Putting his claws together, Shale inhaled deeply. “Ignis… Get the fuck off my table,” he said in a deep, gravely voice that was calm enough to be a request, but ridged enough to be a threat.
Freezing up, the Infernape slowly stepped off onto the floor.
“And Aegis, what did I tell you about drinking before this meeting?”
“Look I’ve got nothin’ to add to this, and I figured it’d be a long one,” the Aggron groaned as he popped his shoulder.
Shale turned his attention to Sable as he raised a brow. “And Umbral , really? Are you sure you want that idiot here?”
The Mismagius tilted her head. “Umbral has his… quirks, but he’s good at what he does.”
“So what about the other one?” asked Aegis.
“I refuse to allow Scorch to participate in this,” spat Sable.
“Blegh!” Ignis loudly taunted, sticking his tongue out as he took his seat.
He kicked his feet up. “We get it, you’re still pissed at him for whatever. But you’re missing the big picture here.”
A loud growl from Shale echoed through the room, prompting Ignis to quickly lower his feet. “The guy still evaded guild capture for like, twenty years, right?” Ignis remarked.
“Maybe,” Sable replied stiffly. “But I’ve also heard that his team isn’t what it used to be.”
“So what? This guy’s a heavy hitter, I can feel it! And think about the audience, the more powerhouses we have in this thing, the more folks will shill out for it, right?”
Sable sighed and shook her head at the Infernape before turning towards Shale. “Well?”
“I’ll allow it.”
Sable’s eyes widened. “What? But Shale-”
“We need more fighters, Sable. I’m not arguing about this,” Shale chided.
The Mismagius closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Very well then.”
Ignis snickered, pleased about pulling one over on someone with seniority on him.
“So are we done here?” Aegis asked groggily with a yawn.
“Aegis,” Shale groaned. “If I were to kill myself, remind me to climb to the peak of your laziness and jump off.”
“Ah, you love me too much to do that,” The Aggron joked. Shale rolled his eyes at his humor, asking himself why he still put up with it.
“So you two gonna kiss or what?” Ignis asked with a shit-eating grin.
Outside the doors, Brine could see a clear difference in Scorch and Umbral. The former was reinvigorated with a new sense of drive, while the other seemed a bit irritated. But then a thought came to the Inteleon’s mind. ‘What would happen if Scorch were to join the elites?’
Bringing a hand to his chin, the blue lizard began to think. “More scouting, hits, maybe enforcement… So the same things then. Who am I kidding? Scorch doesn’t lead, he delegates…”
“If I may ask, how exactly does this ‘auction’ work?” Brine asked.
“It’s just what it sounds like,” Scorch said as he crossed his arms. “Only the top bidders choose someone to fight for the thing they want.”
“Doesn’t that defeat the purpose?”
“Folks around here will take any kind of excitement they can get,” Umbral piped up. “I remember the fights got real nasty last year. But we can handle it, right Scorchy?”
The Emboar snorted in annoyance, puffing a small flame from his snout.
“Have either of you participated before?” Asked Brine as he leaned against the wall.
Scorch shook his head. “Never bothered with it.”
“I always preferred to watch,” Umbral said with a shrug. “But hey, maybe you and those other two can join the normal rounds.”
Brine raised a brow at this. “See, me and hothead will probably be in the ‘highly sought after rounds’ where all the big stuff is sold.” Umbral continued.
Hearing Umbral’s suggestion to allow Bella and Hunter to compete only brought back memories of the Salazzle’s prior antics. “Surely that would only end in disaster…” He thought.
A loud slam banged against the other side of the door before it slowly opened. Ignis then stumbled past the three, gasping for air as he looked back at the room. Brine and Umbral peered inside as well to see Shale calmly walking back towards his seat.
This was soon followed by Aegis walking out into the hall. “So, who wants to go grab something?”
Bella and Hunter later found themselves in a more tucked away part of the Third Layer. More scaffold lined the buildings, and the overall seedy atmosphere of the city somehow managed to outdo itself, as from every angle the two could feel they were being watched. Pokemon whispered as the two passed by them, Bella hearing them bring up her name a few times.
“Welcome home Bella,” she thought as she kept her eyes ahead.
Stopping in front of an iron door Bella looked over the myriad of colorful patterns painted on the brick surrounding it. “We’re here,” she said before banging on the door. A slot at the top of the door opened as an eye peered out at them. Looking down at Bella, the slot quickly shut.
Bella huffed in annoyance before banging on the door again. “ You fucking- Open up!”
“Beat it Belladonna!” A voice hissed back.
“ Don’t call me that,” Bella angrily said as she recognized the voice. She whipped at the door with Fire Lash.
“Now open up so I can cut out your tongue!”
Soon the door unlocked with a series of clicks before swinging open. A long, purple cobra stood in the doorway. A pattern resembling a twisted, smiling face adorned their inner hood, almost matching the expression of their face which was curled into a malicious grin.
“So ya finally came crawling back, huh?”
The Salazzle glared up at the Arbok in response, crossing her arms as her tail whipped around.
“What’s this?” The Arbok asked, pointing the tip of his tail at Hunter.
Bella sighed, “That’s Hunter.”
On queue, the Garchomp gave a slow wave of his claw. The Arbok looked back at Bella, “And here I thought we’d never see you again.”
“Where are the others?” The Salazzle asked as she collected herself.
“Where do you think? And they’re not gonna be happy to see you.”
“That’s crazy,” Bella flatly remarked as she slipped past the large snake. Hunter followed suit, knocking the Arbok out of the way as he stepped inside.
Calling the place unkempt was a massive understatement as everything looked like it was on the verge of falling apart. And judging from the amalgam of smells filling the room, it was clear to Hunter that no one cleaned anything. They ranged from vomit, to alcohol, to the fumes spilling from a Weezing in the corner. It wasn’t the worst thing to assault his nostrils, but there was still a scent or two mixed in there that he couldn’t seem to identify, and it bothered him.
Small black lizards with vermillion patterns on their backs scurried throughout the large room, some carrying things while others roughhoused with each other.
“Watch it you little-” A voice yelled as one of the Salandit was thrown to the ground. A glossy eyed lemur not much bigger than them, angrily marched through the parade of reptiles before seeing Bella and Hunter.
“Belladonna?!” The Grafaiai said in shock. “I thought you-”
“Left. Yeah,” Bella cut him off, crossing her arms. She then hopped onto a nearby table, knocking a few bottles to the floor. “Was in the area, thought I’d drop by, have a good time with my new friend,” Bella continued, gesturing to Hunter.
The smaller poison type shrank down as Hunter glared down at him.
“Well, well, well… Look who finally came slithering all the way back home,” a feminine voice called out, prompting all of the Salandit to stop what they were doing and line up in a militaristic fashion. Bella turned her head to the far side of the room where another Salazzle stood.
The other Salazzle looked a fair bit like Bella, however the magenta patterns across her chest and stomach were shaped differently, and were more vibrant. A scar also fell above her left eye, further accentuating her sharp gaze. “Oleander,” Bella said, dismissively acknowledging the poison type.
“Belladonna…” The other Salazzle responded as she walked closer. “And here I thought you wouldn’t last a week outside of here.”
“It’s Bella . And as you can see, I’m more than fine,” she remarked with a slight hiss.
“So what? Weak-link here leaves and we’re just letting her back? Just like that?” A purple and yellow salamander leaning against the wall asked, the electrical fin on the back of his head buzzing in irritation.
Bella rolled her eyes, “Relax, I’m not staying. I’m-”
“Here cause you’ve been thrown out of everywhere else?”
Bella glared at the Toxtricity. “…Here for a job from the elites,” she continued.
“How’d you slip your way into that?” The Grafaiai snidely asked.
Hunter watched Bella and the others continued to hurl insults at each other. But soon he began to tune it out, deciding to take it upon himself to search around. Bella’s earlier stunt with fer red mist had left him in a less than stellar mood, and had only further simulated his already large appetite. Bella had promised him food on the way here, and Arceus be damned if he didn’t find any.
“If she needs help, she’ll ask,” he thought. But then the Garchomp shook his head, internally chastising himself for putting his wants before Bella.
“Don’t think we haven’t heard about some of the stuff you’ve done after you left,” the Toxtricity spat before glancing at Hunter. “So’s he your newest one?”
A long whip-like wisp of fire formed in Bella’s hand. “So you want me to burn out your tongue? Is that it?”
“You really wanna do this ‘Donna?” The salamander threatened as his body sparked with electricity. “You’ve always been the weak link on this team.”
This was met by a growl from Hunter, stopping the poison type in his tracks.
“Tell you what Belladonna,” Oleander said, crossing her arms. “Since I’m feeling nice today, I’ll let you hang out here.”
The Arbok, Grafaiai, and Toxtricity all stared at her in confusion. “If… you beat me in a battle,” she continued.
“And if you win?” Bella snidely asked, knowing there was always a catch when it came to the fellow Salazzle. Oleander smirked, “You let us in on this ‘big shot group’ you’re with now.”
Glaring at Oleander, Bella’s tail waved in irritation. “Hunter… I’ll handle this one.”
With that, Oleander twisted her head to the side, audibly popping her neck. “Awsome,” she said with a smirk. “You know, I’ve kinda been waiting for this.”
“Iggy, play us a battle tune would ya?” Oleander ordered with the snap of her fingers.
The Toxtricity swept his fingers across the purple ridges across his chest to produce a melodious sound reminiscent of a guitar. The two Salazzles got into position, their whip-like tails swishing in anticipation as a fast paced, angry tune reverberated through the room.
Bella wasted no time in making the first move, creating a whip of fire in her hand using a Fire Lash aimed at Oleander’s feet. The opposing Salazzle leapt up, flipping onto a table behind her.
She kicked the Salandit resting there at Bella, managing barely to strike Bella in the face. In retaliation, Bella darted towards Oleander, who jumped further back down along the table. Both Salazzle’s hands glowed with a purple aura before unleashing a series of quick jabs towards each other.
Bella was mostly on the offensive, trying to land a Poison Jab in Oleander’s face. But Oleander quickly stepped back and swung herself around, sweeping Bella’s legs with her tail, causing her to fall on her back. Bella’s patience was wearing thin as Oleander stood over her.
Bella hissed, and hastily pulled back her legs and kicked her in the stomach and off of the table. The Salandit below quickly scattering as she hit the floor.
Oleander groaned and turned her head, glaring at the Salandits. They glanced at each other, and one Salandit begrudgingly tossed her the bottle they were drinking from with a look of disappointment after doing so. They received a consoling pat on the back from a fellow Salandit, watching Oleander and Bella continue to fight.
Bella jumped down from the table and threw another Poison Jab. She hit Oleander in the chest, but the other Salazzle responded by striking her in the head with her bottle.
Rolling to the side, Oleander sprung to her feet as her tail glowed with a similar purple aura as her hands did prior. Swinging herself around, she swept her tail at Bella with Poison Tail. However it hit nothing but air as the attack sped past Bella’s chest.
After dodging a few more swings, Bella felt her back press up against something hard. Glancing back at the wooden counter behind her, the Salazzle had an idea. Placing her hands against the hard surface, she used it to propel herself up and onto the counter.
Oleander stumbled back and held her snout, as Bella had used this maneuver to kick her in the face.
However things weren’t ideal on Bella’s side either, as the trick she had just pulled left her standing on her hands atop of the counter. This by itself wasn’t an issue, as Bella was what one would call acrobatically gifted. But this part of the counter was covered in a sticky mess of Arceus knows what. And even for a poison type, there was only so much filth she was willing to touch.
Pushing off up and off the counter, Bella wrapped the end of her tail around one of metal beams near the ceiling. “Do you ever clean this crap shack?” She complained, shaking her hands of whatever had placed them in.
Oleander responded by shooting a stream of fire from her mouth, prompting Bella to swing up to the next beam to avoid it. “Get the fuck down from there!” Oleander shouted before spitting a purple glob at the opposing Salazzle.
However the Sludge Bomb missed as Bella scurried up into the ceiling. “That’s right, run away Belladonna! Run away! That’s all you do-”
But before she could finish, the sound of breaking glass soon caught Oleander’s attention, she glanced around the room before hearing the sound again. Looking down at the floor were shattered vials surrounded by a deep violet liquid. Oleander felt the air growing thick and hard to breathe as the liquid’s vapors made their way into her system.
The Salazzle began to panic, dropping to her knees as she tried to register what was happening. “Did she fucking poison me?!” Oleander thought as her strength was steadily sapped away.
Salazzle weren’t exactly a common sight within Inferno’s Maw, so she made it a point to remember that her kind were one of the few pokemon capable of poisoning other poison types. Perhaps it was the heat of the moment, or maybe she underestimated Bella, but to be on the receiving end for the first time was a blow to her pride.
As one of the wooden panels making up the ceiling fell to the floor, Bella soon followed and dropped down behind Oleander. Bella snickered and kicked her in the back.
“Probably thinking ‘so that’s what it feels like.’ Right?”
Oleander didn’t respond, instead rolling on her back and gasping for air. Bella rolled her eyes and placed her foot on Oleander’s stomach. “Say my name.”
“…Bella …donna,” the downed Salazzle muttered between gasps. Glaring down at her, Bella quickly stomped down on her gut and quickly leaned down to grab her snout. She held it shut like for a while longer until Oleander started to struggle.
“You gonna say it right this time?” Bella asked, to which Oleander frantically nodded.
“Hmmm,” Bella hummed as she tilted her head, a look of bitterness in her eyes that was fading from Oleander’s view. “I’m not sure I believe you…”
“Belladonna, stop it!” the Toxtricity yelled as he stepped towards the two.
“That’s funny, never thought you’d ask the ‘weak link’ for something.”
“Belladonna, this isn’t funny!” the Arbok angrily said, hastily slithering towards them, but was stopped by Hunter stepping on his tail.
“Then say my name correctly , it’s that simple.”
“Alright, alright! Bella! We’re sorry! Just let her go!”
After counting to five in her head, Bella did as she was asked. “Now say it,” she demanded, staring down at Oleander who was coughing and gasping for air.
“…Bella.”
With that, the victorious Salazzle stood up as her demeanor completely changed to as if the past few minutes never happened. “Now was that so hard?”
“Well Bella… you’ve changed,” Oleander hoarsely said as she sat slumped over the counter. She found herself starting to recover from her fight, but her voice was mostly shot as a result of Bella’s actions.
“So this… Team Raiders you’re with?” The Arbok asked while nursing the end of his tail. “You’re really doing something for the elites?”
Bella nodded before taking a swig from the bottle in her hand. “The big guy’s busy right now, so I thought I’d keep my eyes on the ground, you know?”
Hunter quietly huffed at the Salazzle’s statement, knowing exactly why they were there. “But while I’m here…” Bella continued. “Maybe we could do a few jobs again.”
“I don’t know,” The Grafaiai remarked as he climbed up on the counter. “We’ve made it a point to stay out of other teams’ business.”
“And you’re doing great by the looks of it,” Bella sarcastically said, swishing her bottle to point around the dilapidated room.
The Toxtrcity crossed his arms. “Well shitty or not, we’ve still got our own thing here.”
“Then let’s think of it as a trial run,” Bella said as she stood up from one of the tables.
Her stance was a bit wobbly, indicating the Salazzle had put a bit too much away at once. Walking towards the counter, she leaned against it beside Iggy much to Hunter’s irritation. “Do a few things with me, and we’ll see how things go.”
“The way I see it, you guys need me… And while the big guy doesn’t think so, I’d say he needs me too.” Bella said as she set her bottle on the counter. She smiled, placing a finger on one of the purple frills on the salamander’s chest. “Would you mind? Something… slowish.”
The Toxtricity batted Bella’s hand away before rolling his eyes and playing a slow tune, as he realized it was easier to just go along with the Salazzle’s antics at this point. Getting a feel for the song Iggy began to play, her tail rhythmically whipped from side to side.
The tune soon picked up, prompting Bella to do the same as she began to dance across the floor. Despite her inebriated state, all of her movements were as graceful as any well practiced dancer. She effortlessly twisted and spun around, all while small streams of pink mist trailed behind her like ribbons in the wind.
For all you losers down here, I’m sure there’s not much to fear
You may not want me, but you damn well needs me
Now just let go of the past, I’m sure you guys had a blast
You didn’t want me, now you damn well need me
So, what do you say…?
“Didn’t you say you’d rather die than work with us again?” The Grafaiai asked as he brought a finger to his chin, only to be met with a slight glare from Bella before she hopped up on another table.
I propose a treaty… cause where can you find somebody like me
But I can’t be too mad, about it don’t you know
I’m gonna work my way on to the top with you in tow
Just follow my lead, and all of you will see-
You all will be on your knees and you will thanking me
Because I’m fucking Bella, that’s right I’m fucking Bella-
Oh yes, now say my name… Again, I can’t hear you… that’s right
Now all you listen up, because we’ve got a job to do now- So what do you say, do all of you accept now?
By the end of her impromptu song, Bella was hanging by her tail from a light fixture on the ceiling. Hunter looked up at the poison type with a smile on his face. It wasn’t often that Bella sang, but when she did her beautiful voice captured the attention of those around her. Granted this wasn’t near her best performance, as she slurred a good amount of the words.
The Salazzle giggled to herself as small amounts of pink mist seeped from her body. “So whaddya say?”
“If we say yes, will you stop?” The Grafaiai asked, waving the pink mist away.
The Toxtricity rolled his eyes and stood up. “You guys aren’t really considering this are you?”
Oleander raised her hand. “Honestly, I’m curious to see where this goes.”
She wouldn’t say it aloud, but she had to admit her team was in something of a rough spot at the moment. But Bella’s newfound strength and connections intrigued her. “So, what first?” She asked as she stepped away from the bar and stuck out her hand.
Bella dropped down from the fixture, and stepped down from the table. She then grabbed the other Salazze’s hand. “First, we wait till the pounding in my head stops,” Bella groaned.
“But after… There’s a few places I saw on the way here that seem like fun.”
Oleander nodded before her grip tightened. “If you cross me, I’ll be sure to repay you for poisoning me.”
Bella responded in kind by pulling her arm back, yanking Oleander close enough for her to feel the lizard’s hot breath on her face. “Cross me and I’ll do it again,” She said with a devious grin.
It was only what Brine could assume to be afternoon in the fourth layer. He was still accustomed to using the sun to tell the time, but the underground of Inferno’s Maw not only deprived him of this. And despite being only his second day, he felt this had been enough to ruin his internal clock. The Inteleon looked around the large table he shared with Scorch, Umbral, Ignis, and Aegis before his eyes then fell upon the bubbling oil filling the pit in the table’s center.
“You know, I don’t really care too much about this whole new member thing,” Aegis said as he picked up a skewer, inspecting the number of fruits and cheese cubes impaled onto it.
“Then why’d ya offer someone up to fight?” Ignis asked as he did the same.
“Cause you and Sable kept bothering me.”
“Ya know, speaking of Sable,” the Infernape continued, turning to Scorch as he elbowed the Emboar.
“No.”
“I didn’t even fucking ask yet!” Ignis said with a huff, displeased with Scorch’s response. “Anyway, you had to have done something for her to be pissed at you for this long.”
“I mean, all she says is that you walked out- wait, you two weren’t a thing, were you?”
Scorch answered by angrily thrusting his skewer into a raging flame that stopped just millimeters from singing Brine.
Feeling the heat on his arm, the Inteleon silently seethed. Sure he was a water type and could handle the burn, but it was the principle behind the act that irked him- that Scorch was so angry that he would ignore those around him.
Ignis on the other hand thought it was rather amusing, as the Infernape burst into a ruckus of laughter.
“You know it tastes better if you fry it,” Aegis said, pouring his beer into a tray of flour he was given.
“You just have to put booze in everything, don’t you?” Ignis scoffed as he tried to stop himself from laughing.
“Let me guess, it’s not a fun time if you remember it the next day, right?”
“I’m pretty sure it doesn’t work like that…” Brine thought.
“Well if that’s the case, let me in on some of that,” Umbral piped up.
Brine and Scorch watched the two cover their food in the improvised batter before submerging it into the oil. The Inteleon sat unflinching as activity picked soon up around the table, slowly eating his food the way he received it as he patiently waited for an appropriate moment to leave. But no such moment arrived for what felt like hours while everyone spoke about things he had no interest in.
The Inteleon tuned most of it out, that is until the subject of fight stories came up as Ignis rambled on taking six pokemon at once on the second level. “And that’s when I smashed his fucking face through the window!” The Infernape proclaimed.
“The Flygon tried to bail, but I grabbed ‘em by the tail and pulled till I heard something pop.”
“So that’s why everyone calls him Flappy,” Umbral said as he put his hand to his chin.
Ignis chuckled at the anecdote until his eyes fell upon Brine. “Ya know, I don’t think you’ve said a damn thing since we came here. It’s kinda creepin’ me out.”
“What do you want me to say?”
“Well look like a ‘mon with a story or two. Tell us something.”
The Inteleon looked at Scorch, who rolled his eyes in response. “Fine then,” Brine said as stightend his posture.
He began to think as he wouldn’t call many of his fights ‘interesting’, and there were some he would honestly rather forget. “I suppose there is one.”
“Oooh, do tell,” Umbral prodded.”
Brine continued. “A while before I met Scorch, I was on a job to find and kill some thief who screwed my employer. What they failed to mention however was that the guild was also looking for them.”
… … …
Clad in a tattered cloak, Brine gazed over the town below the tree he was perched in. He knew his latest mark was holed up in there somewhere, but he was less than pleased. He always hated it when they did this, as every time they hid it did nothing but make his job harder. But then again, Brine couldn’t say he could blame them. Most pokemon don’t want to die after all.
But the Inteleon was prepared to wait. It wasn’t the first time he had to do this, and it likely wouldn’t be the last.
“Where is that damn Sandslash…” Brine thought. But after a few more minutes, his rumbling stomach interrupted his focus.
At first he tried to ignore it, but eventually relented and reached for the pouch strapped to his side. “Empty. Of course,” he muttered. Brine didn’t like having to go into towns while on the job, but needs had to be met.
Brine was thankful that at this point the guild had no idea who he was. As various wanted posters lined the walls of several buildings. Slowing his pace in the mildly busy stone-laden street, Brine eyed the wall of faces and thankfully didn’t find his target’s portrait amongst them. Sighing in relief, the Inteleon nodded.
“There sure are a lot of them, huh?”
The blue lizard turned his head to the side, staring down at the source of the voice. A yellowish-orange rodent with large, cream colored paws stood beside him. But what Brine found concerning about the Pawmot was the dark green bandana they wore around their neck.
“Is there usually this many?” Brine calmly asked.
“Unfortunately… But that’s what I’m here for,” the Pawmont said, crossing his arms. “Name’s Jaune, you?”
“Brook,” Brine answered.
“Well, don’t think I’ve seen you around here Brook.”
“I’m passing through, just figured I’d stop here for a bit.” It was then that Brine’s body audibly reminded him why he was here.
“You know my partner and I were about to go grab something.” Jaune said. “You want in?”
“Sure.”
Sitting with the Pawmot and Lucario, Brine glanced around the tavern for any potential sign of the Sandslash he was after.
“You said you were passing through, right?” Jaune asked. Brine nodded.
“Not really much for words, are ya?” The Lucario asked.
Brine shrugged. “I’m used to being alone is all.”
Tuning out the small talk the two explorers faced him with, Brine once again scanned the room for his mark. “Still nothing- wait…” Having made sure he had a seat that faced the front doors, he watched as they opened. A Sandslash.
“Clipped ear, scar over the nose… It’s him,” he thought.
… … …
“So what? You just sat there?” Ignis asked, disappointed with the story thus far.
“He’s setten’ it up ya twit!” Aegis slurred after a swig of his drink. “Now shaddup, I wanna hear the rest.”
“If this is how they always act, then I’m surprised the elites get anything done around here…” Brine thought as he watched the exchange.
Once things quieted down, Brine continued. “A good while had passed before he noticed us, and the explorers, him. He then went and used Sand Tomb inside the tavern.”
“There were a number of ground types inside, so naturally, a lot of assumptions were made.”
“Let me guess, an all out brawl broke out?” Umbral piped up.”
Brine nodded. “But that wasn’t my concern, my job was to get him, and only him.”
… … …
Slipping his way through the tavern wide fight, Brine stepped out the doors to see the Sandslash running down the street and out of town. Hissing to himself, the Inteneon ran after him. For if they managed to reach the town’s limits the spiny rodent would no doubt dig away and escape, the softer ground being easier to borrow through than the stone paths that lined the town. It also didn’t help that while inside, he swore he heard Jaune say ‘It’s him’.
Leaping onto the roof of one of the shorter houses, Brine then ran along the roofs with his hand held out. As he closed the distance, the Inteleon fired off high pressured bolts of water. This got the Sandslash to stumble and slow down before turning into an alley. Hopping down, Brine quickly used Snipe Shot three times in succession, sending piercing bolts of water into the Sandslash.
“W-Wait!” The Sandslash pleaded as he tried to pull himself off the ground. Brine knelt down as he continued, tuning out the ground type’s noise while his finger made its way to their forehead.
“I-I can get back the money, I can get back everything else just tell him! T-That’s what I’ve been-”
Silence.
Brine exhaled before shutting the Sandslash’s eyes with his hand. However when he stood up, he could immediately feel that something was wrong.
“Brook?”
… … …
Before Brine could continue his story, a loud crash from outside interrupted him. “The hell was that?!” Ignis asked as the sound of rageful yelling could be heard. Aegis groaned as he stood up and stomped towards the exit.
Outside there were three pokemon that only one of whom Aegis recognised. A Sudowoodo that laid in the pile of scraps that used to be the stall across the street as a Pangoro stomped towards them while a Magmortar watched on from the side.
The large, gray panda made a move for the tree-shaped pokemon, but was stopped as a gleaming stalagmite shot up between them. Everyone’s attention turned to Aegis, who was less than pleased with the scenario. “Stay the hell outta this, you thick headed ore muncher!” the Pangoro spat.
“First you interrupt my day drinking, then I see you put yer filthy paws on my underling,” Aegis growled.
The Pangoro turns his head back to the Sudowoodo. “ That’s your boss?!” He said with a snicker, gesturing towards Aegis with his hand.
“What of it?” asked Aegis.
“ What’s of it is you that you better tell your buddy to start paying his mercs better!”
“Sounds like a you problem,” Aegis dismissively said, tilting his head to the side as he watched the Pangoro stomp toward him.
“Wanna say that again?”
The Aggron looked past the enraged ursine and towards his subordinate. “Where’d you find this fucker?”
This only further angered the bear who clenched their fist in response, using Hammer Arm as he thrusted his attack into the Aggron’s stomach. However Aegis didn’t so much as flinch, with only the slight tightening of his metallic face showing any form of discomfort.
Inside, Ignis, Umbral, Scorch, and Brine were watching before Ignis hunched down. “Get down if you value your eyes.”
Aegis’ skin began to shine a blinding white as he suddenly grabbed the Pangoro. “My turn.”
What followed was a bright flash of light, and a deafening boom. Windows shattered, and walls caved in as the Aggron’s Metal Burst engulfed the street. When the dust cleared, shards of metal were strewn about the ground and nearby buildings, while the now bloodied Pangoro laid at the bottom of the creator Aegis formed in the ground.
As Aegis stepped out of the newly formed ditch, he turned his head towards his quivering subordinate. “Why’s it every time you bring an outsider, they’ve got a mouth on ‘em?”
He then turned around as the others stepped outside, walking around the shards embedded in the ground.
Ignis whistled as he put his hands on his hips while surveying the damage. “Think this is even bigger than last time.”
“I need a fucking drink,” Aegis groaned as he rubbed his temple. But as he turned, a bolt of water suddenly flew past him.
All eyes turned to Brine, who had his hand held out. Scorch and Ignis’ flames grew in activity, their anger flaring up as well. “Brine! What the hell was that?!” Scorch yelled before a thud and a loud groan got their attention.
The Magmortar who had accompanied the Pangoro was now face down in the crater, their cannon-like hand billowing smoke. “They were going to attack,” Brine bluntly said as he lowered his arm.
Aegis gave the Inteleon a nod of acknowledgement before turning to go back inside. Once things calmed down, the remaining pokemon went on their way and left Aegis to his own devices.
“Oh yeah, you didn’t get to finish your story,” Ignis said with the snap of his fingers as he looked at Brine.
“I killed them both and hid them in a barrel,” the Inteleon flatly said.
“Really? After all that setup, that’s what you give me!”
It was later in the day when Brine, Scorch and Umbral made it back to the Gengar’s three storied dwelling. However much to the chagrin of Scorch and Brine, Bella and Hunter had come back at the same time as them. Only they had returned with more pokemon than they had left with, each one of them holding an assortment of bottles, sacks, and boxes that likely didn’t belong to them.
Scorch looked over the other Salazzle and their gang of poison types. A scowl crawled onto the Emboar’s face. “Great, now there’s two of ‘em…” He thought before stepping inside.
“The hell’s his problem?” Bella asked.
“It’s been a long day,” Brine answered before doing the same.
“They seem fun,” Oleander remarked as she looked at Bella.
The Salazzle rolled her eyes. “They’re always like that.”
Inside, Scorch stood in front of the bookshelf against the brick wall. Remembering that the path they used to enter sitting behind it, the Emboar’s thoughts went to the remnant lying within.
“You better not be thinking about the remnant in that device,” A familiar and annoying voice behind him said.
“You ever heard of that one time, some ‘mon flew to the top of the pillar and touched the remnant?” Umbral asked.
“Poof…” The Gengar continued as gestured outwards with his hands.
“Same thing with that one, right?” Scorch replied.
“Yep. And let me tell ya, cleaning up ashes outta sandstone ain’t easy. But it kinda makes me wonder… What makes it different from the one you’ve got?”
Scorch looked down at the band on his arm. As much as the Gengar irritated him, Umbral did pose a good question. However he quickly dismissed it, as preparing for the elite’s tournament now took top priority.
Back in the attic, Brine sat cross-legged on a crate with his eyes closed. He opened an eye however when he heard the hatch in the floor flip open. The Grafaiai, Toxtricity, and a number of the Salandit that had come along with Bella and Hunter then entered the space, only to be met with sharp glare from Brine.
“Easy,” the Toxtricity said, putting their hands up. “We were told to stay up here-”
“By Bella?” Brine interrupted.
Taking their silence as a yes, the Inteleon’s eye twitched in frustration. The one good thing he had in this arrangement was gone, and it was all thanks to Bella. Brine intently watched as the other pokemon made their way in. His sharp, unblinking glare herded them to the other side of the room.
Seemingly getting the message, the poison types all crowded one one side of the attic while Brine sat on the other. Satisfied with this, the Inteleon laid down on the floor facing away from them. “Don’t wake me up unless there’s a fire.”
However Brine soon found himself face to face with Umbral, who’s upper half peeked up through the floorboards. A blatant scowl formed on the Inteleon’s face before Umbral raised his hand through the floor.
“This came for you,” the Gengar said, holding up a folded piece of paper.
Brine took it from the ghost, watching him slowly sink back down. Sitting up and opening the letter, he raised a brow in intrigue. “A job from the Aegis…” He thought as he read further.
“And there is someone he wants me to find… Interesting.”
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