…There is a Raging Inferno

An uncomfortable presence hung in the air as Cinder was beginning to grow more impatient, her breath hastening and body twitching as she and the others awaited answers. The Vulpix glanced around the room before her gaze finally fell on her teammates. Crash seemed a few shades paler, sitting in his seat like a punished child as he fiddled with the rubbery skin of his pouch. Hickory on the other hand continued to look at Leone, carrying a look of concern on his face. 

Taking a few steps away from the table, the Bayleef soon stopped upon hearing his name. “Hickory?” Cinder asked, the Vulpix still visibly unhappy with their current situation. “Are you doing what I think you’re doing?” 

 

The grass type turned his head back at his teammate. “So what if I am?” He replied, sounding a bit upset with the fox’s remark.

“If she was friends with your mom, then talking about this is probably upsetting her just as much as it is you.”

For a second Cinder looked like she was about to argue back, but instead her expression softened before her gaze shifted away from her partner. “…Go ahead,” She said before Hickory began to walk towards Leone.

 

However when he started to approach the bar, Leone had already finished her drink before Hickory could get a proper word in. Stepping to the side, the Purugly walked around him and made her way back to the table. “Come along now, this story is not going to finish itself.” 

The Bayleef then hung his head as Leone passed. “So much for trying to help…” The grass type thought before making his way back to the table as well.

 

Taking his place back at the table, Hickory noted that the mood hadn’t changed.  “Now where was I?” Leone asked herself. 

“The remnants,” Cinder flatly said as her body tensed up. 

“…Of course,” Leone responded, sensing the Vulpix’s contempt. 

 

“The remnants seemed to have had an effect on Scorch, at least when going by what I was told,” Leone said as her gaze lowered. “It happened slowly . But I think that Scorch had begun to enjoy what he was doing… As if he were getting some kind of sick thrill in the power that had come into.”

… … …

 

It had been quite a long while since Leone had parted ways with Team Raiders, and with each passing day Hearth could feel it immensely as an empty feeling hung over her. Even though she considered Scorch as one of her best friends, there were some things that she could only really talk about with the Purugly. However there was another reason apart from Leone’s departure that had the Ninetales in a foul mood.

“If you don’t let me leave this tent, I’m setting it on fire!” Hearth complained. “I’m having an egg, not dying.” 

 

Outside the tent however, Scorch stood with his arms crossed as he glanced at the Dragapult next to him. “That doctor said you needed to-” 

“That guy’s barely even a doctor!” Hearth shot back. 

“If you stay put, I’ll see about maybe getting those disgusting candies you like so much,” Scorch said as he turned to leave. 

 

Hearth dramatically groaned in response, pouting as she heard the heavy footsteps of the Emboar leading away from the tent.

---

 

Over the next few hours, Hearth found herself in the worst state of boredom she had ever been able to recall. She grew tired of staring at the flap of the tent as she waited for any sign of Scorch or Nyx coming back, and soon just tired overall. Sure Hearth could go to sleep, but in the Nintales’ mind it meant Scorch would win and start making jokes if he saw her. 

 

“What am I even doing?” Hearth thought, before pulling herself up and stepping towards the exit. However the Ninetales was met by two pokemon: a Machoke, and a Jolteon. The former passing a note to the scowling fire type. 

“No matter how much Hearth complains, don’t let her out of your sight,” Hearth quietly read aloud.

 

A small growl escaped her jaws before Hearth looked back up at the two. “Where’d Scorch say he was going again?” 

But before she could get an answer, the Ninetales let out an extended yawn. “You know what… fuck it,” Hearth said, caving in upon realizing just how tired she was. 

“Tell Scorch I wanna talk about this later,” She demanded, pointing a paw at the Jolteon. 

 

With that, Hearth backed her way inside the tent before curling up on the nest-like bed set up in its center. It was then that Hearth, in her tired mind, began thinking more about the current situation. 

“Can’t really say this is how I pictured things…” The Ninetales thought, drifting off as she began to tune out the sounds of random pokemon outside. “Wonder when Nyx is coming back…”

---

 

Entering the third layer of Inferno’s Maw, Scorch and a Dragapult exited out of a tunnel connecting the layer above. “Really hope they add more of those carriage things…” The Emboar said to himself before glancing back at the tunnel. All while thinking about the new contraption he rode down from the top layer. 

“ ‘Is gonna be a real pain in the ass,” Scorch muttered.

 

“It all looks the same. I’m surprised Leone’s able to navigate this place so easily,” The Dragapult remarked, getting an annoyed grunt in response from Scorch as the two continued moving. 

 

“If you don’t mind me asking, how come you wanted me to come with you?” 

“Well you and Leone were kinda closeish right? Figured you’d know how to do her job,” Scorch said, mentioning the Purugly’s name with a hint of contempt in his voice. 

“And given Hearth’s… condition , that left you.”

 

The fire type then glared at the multi-storied stone buildings surrounding the two, growing evermore frustrated that this layer in particular seemed to be harder to find their way around. “All this to fucking meet with a pokemon.” 

 

“I’d advise that you don’t talk like that in front of Sable,” A voice off towards the duo’s side responded.

Turning around, Scorch and the Dragapult saw a pokemon familiar to the former staring at him from the alley next to them. “It’s nice to see you, Scorch,” A Driftblim said as they slowly floated towards the agitated fire type. 

“Zephyr,” Scorch flatly responded, giving the balloon-shaped ghost type an irritated glare.  

 

In response, Zephyr gave an inquisitive look towards the dragon type. “And he is?” 

“Draco… It’s Draco,” The Dragapult awkwardly answered, not entirely expecting to be acknowledged. 

 

“He’s with me,” Scorch said, without breaking his glare. “So where is she?”

Zephyr beckoned Scorch and Draco forwards with one of his yellow tipped tenderals as he backed into the alley; Scorch swearing he could hear the purple ghost type snickering. “What is it with you ghosts and being all cryptic?” He thought.

---

 

After a long walk though the maze of buildings that was the Third Layer, Zephyr, Scorch, and Draco approached an open space at the end of a dusty alley. What sat before them was a building that reminded the Emboar of the storehouse in Cliffpass. Though It was much smaller in comparison, being about the height of the other structures he’d seen in the area. 

 

Rather than a large iron door, this building had a grate of the same material with a violet curtain hanging behind it. Looking up, Scorch saw an old wooden sign that hung over the entrance reading ‘As Below, So Above’. This stirred a strange feeling within the fire type, a feeling that only increased as Scorch couldn’t help but feel like he was being watched. 

 

“Any reason this place is so damn hard to get to?” Scorch asked as he glanced around. 

It was really now that the Emboar had noticed that things had gotten a whole lot quieter, as if the noise of the surrounding city had faded away. The air had also begun to smell more stale than the rest of the city, as if this spot were a recently unearthed tomb hidden away within the depths of a cavern. The building as a whole had an ominous feel to it, making the Emboar feel as if he were in one the horror stories he had heard as a kid. It didn’t scare him, but there was still something eerie hanging in the atmosphere that he didn’t like.

 

“Sable prefers to spend her time away from the city’s usual chaos,” Zephyr answered before floating towards the entrance. 

The Driftblim’s body slowly expanded and contracted as if he were taking a deep breath. He gave exactly three steady knocks to the grate with his yellow-tipped tendril. “Miss Sable, I brought him.”

There was a long pause before the grate rose, the grating sound of scraping metal making Zephyr, Scorch, and Draco wince in discomfort. “Fucking dammit, is this shit gonna happen every time?!” Scorch thought, trying his best to hold his tongue. The two watched as the curtain soon opened, a cyan glow shimmering across it as it did. This signaled for Zephyr and the others to enter, Scorch unsure of what was to happen next.

---

 

Inside, the three were met by a pokemon with a round, glass-like body who looked over them. They beckoned the trio before them forwards with one of their curled, metallic limbs; each one carrying a ghostly flame like the one inside of their body. “Follow. And don’t touch anything.” 

They all soon followed the Chandelure down a short hall lined with dimly lit lanterns, each one illuminating paintings of an unsettling aura; the lanterns’ ghostly flames only adding to the peculiar ambiance. The hall then opened up into a wider space that resembled a shop, with a wide, well-worn wooden counter. Behind it sat a number of shelves holding various items, most of which were things that Scorch and Draco had never seen before.

 

At the counter however were two pokemon leaning over either side. On the  side of the merchandise was a violet, ghost-like figure wearing a short, maroon cape and a silver amulet. The top of their head resembled a witch’s hat; and their lower body took the appearance of a cloak. The ladder of which was flowing like a curtain in a calm breeze despite there being none present in the room. 

However in front of her stood what Scorch recognized as a familiar looking Zoroark. The two were playing a game with cards, each one displaying different images that seemed to resemble various pokemon. While Scorch was unfamiliar with this particular game, he could clearly tell from the tense atmosphere that the Mismagius was winning.

 

“And that would be two, four, and five,” Sable remarked as she slid three of her cards forwards using Psychic. 

Nyx removed two cards from his side before placing five pebbles on a scale sitting on the counter beside the two. “Dammit…” The dark type mumbled. 

 

“Do you wish to concede?” Sable calmly asked, not breaking her deadpan expression. Nyx stared down at his cards before looking at the ones in his claws. 

“A mistake that separates a bad runner from a good one, is not knowing when to quit. So I will again, do you wish to concede?” 

“Alright, you win,” Nyx grudgingly said with a sigh, placing the rest of his cards face down on the counter. Noticing Sable shift her gaze to something behind him, the Zoroark turned his head and did a double-take at what stood before him. 

 

“What’s he doing here?” Scorch mumbled to himself. 

 

Looking between the two, Sable floated towards the center of the counter. “I assume the two of you are acquainted?” 

“Something like that,” Scorch answered. 

 

“In that case, this makes things easier,” Said Sable, using Psychic to compile all of the cards into a deck. Putting the cards and scale behind the counter, Sable looked over the pokemon that stood before her. 

“Zephyr, Whisper. Leave us,” The ghost type said before the Driftblim and Chanelure nodded in response, leaving down the hall they came in.

 

Once the four were alone, Sable spent the next few moments observing Scorch, Nyx, and Draco. As ever since he noticed the Emboar, Nyx had started acting uncomfortable. “Whatever differences the two of you have, I want you to put them aside,” 

Putting two and two together, Scorch was about to speak up. However he held his tongue, instead motioning with his head for Draco to speak. “I assume you want us to work together?” The Dragapult asked. 

 

“While your team’s recent success has caught my attention, I believe there is still always room for improvement,” Sable remarked. “I couldn’t care less whether or not you leave a mess, as long as you’re successful in the jobs I give you. However, a cleaner execution leads to more efficiency in the long run.”

A low, quiet groan came from Scorch as he glanced at Nyx, as all he could think about was the Zoroark’s relationship with Hearth. He was silently seething while he listened to Draco and Sable speak, occasionally chiming in as he tried to remain as outwardly calm as possible. 

 

“Remember why you’re doing this…” The Emboar thought.

 

“Anyway, I suppose It’s time I tell you exactly what you’re doing,” Sable calmly said. “I suspect that a runner of mine has been stealing from me. As recently something… important has gone missing. I want you to get it back.” 

“Now that’s something I can get behind,” Scorch said with a grin as he cracked his knuckles. 

 

“Hold on…” Nyx responded, holding up a claw towards the Mismagius. “With all due respect, this doesn’t really sound like the kind of jobs I normally do.” 

“That doesn’t make this any less important,” Sable responded, showing slight irritation. 

 

“So what’d they even take anyway?” Scorch asked, wanting to get to the point. 

Sable briefly closed her eyes to calm herself down. “…It was a pink diamond.” 

 

While the reactions amongst the three were mixed, the mood within the room had without a doubt shifted. Nyx, knowing full well of the value of what the Mismagius was talking about, showed the most interest. Scorch on the other hand showed the least, mostly caring about the potential for him to show off his strength to whoever was unfortunate enough to get in his way.

 

“Seeing as my next auction is fairly soon, I need this to be dealt with. Quickly ,” Sable said, her voice taking on a more sinister tone. “Take back the diamond, and bring both it and the offender back to me. Alive.”

“Right,” Nyx said before turning towards the others. “Well, that diamond’s not gonna bring itself back.” 

 

Stepping away from the counter, Nyx and the others made their way down the hall. “When we get it back, I want a rematch,” The Zoroark remarked, holding up a clawed hand as he turned his head back. 

Sable rolled her eyes, giving a smirk. “You are always welcome to try.”

 

After the three pokemon left, the familiar sound of the iron grate closing reverberated throughout the room. Sable levitated an old book from behind the counter, using Psychic to flip through the pages as she brought it towards her. Thinking back to the bands Scorch was wearing, she remembered something Zephyr had told her some time ago. Something about ‘Nyx seeing Scorch do something crazy’ during one of his prior jobs. 

 

Landing on a page displaying images of crystals, the Mismagius read through a few passages before looking up at the hallway. “Maybe I shouldn’t have given those away,” The ghost type said under her breath. 

“But if he was able to use them…” Sable muttered. “I suppose this got a bit more interesting.”

---

 

The thought of working alongside Nyx was eating away at Scorch as he, Draco, and the aforementioned Zoroark were led back out to the main streets of the Third Layer. 

 

“The hell does she see in him…?” Scorch thought, watching as Nyx and Draco had quickly struck up a conversation. Watching the fox’s calm demeanor, thinking about how Hearth could have taken a liking towards him. Scorch huffed at the thought, puffing out a small cloud of smoke from his nose.

“Are you good Scorch?” Draco asked, the Dragapult noticing the fire type’s simmering anger. 

 

“I’m fine,” Scorch bluntly responded. “So where the hell do we start this search?” 

“I think I might have an idea.” Nyx answered, putting a claw to his chin. “But we’re gonna need somewhere a bit… less open.” 

 

Hearing this, Draco began to think. Though it wasn’t long until one of the Dreepy resting in his wing-shaped horns whispered something to him. Widening his eyes in response, the Dragapult glanced at Scorch before whispering back.

“Well, there is somewhere…” Draco said with some slight hesitation in his voice. 

 

Scorch and Nyx looked at the floating dragon type with a mix of confusion and intrigue, however the former’s expression soon turned to one of annoyance. Having a feeling of what Draco was talking about, the Emboar crossed his arms in defiance. “No. We’re not going there.” 

“Do you have any better ideas? Besides, she might be able to help. I’ve heard her place is something of an information hub now.” 

 

Nyx glanced between the two bandits with a confused glare on his face. “Am I missing something here?”

---

 

Later in the day, the trio came across a street with a stone, overhead arch connecting two buildings on either side of them. Walking underneath, they were led to a building with a large sign reading ‘The Silver Claw’. In front of the establishment there were a handful of pokemon who all stopped what they were doing to look up and stare at the trio. 

Taking a step forward, Scorch gestured a hand at the large wooden doors. “Are they open or not?” This response seemed to calm the other pokemon down as they resumed whatever they were doing. Scorch then rolled his eyes and opened the door.

Making their way inside, Scorch, Draco, and Nyx were met with an active scene as several groups of pokemon were standing around and talking. Whether it be to have a good time or discuss business, the atmosphere made it clear to Scorch that Leone was doing just fine without him. 

 

“So who’s buying?” Nyx asked with a sly grin, turning towards his new teammates. 

Scorch rolled his eyes in response; both out of annoyance, and not being able to tell if the Zoroark was joking or not. “Not with how long it took to find this damn place I’m not…” Scorch grumbled. Though given his current mood he soon changed his tune, admitting to himself that a drink suddenly didn’t sound too bad.

 

Moving towards the stairs on the side of the room, the three made their way up before each took a spot at a table on one of the decks. On their way, Nyx glanced at Scorch. “You didn’t answer-” 

“Separate,” Scorch cut the Zoroark, the fire type’s irritation now on full display. Nyx and Draco ever so slightly shifted away, almost being able to feel Scorch’s resentment radiating off of him.

 

“You said you had an idea earlier?” Scorch bluntly asked, turning his head to face Nyx. 

“Right,” The Zoroark answered, pointing a claw before leaning inwards; prompting the other two to do the same. “There’s another place Sable has where me and her other runners meet for things.” 

 

“Where?” Scorch asked. 

“I might consider telling you if you decide to pay,” Nyx said with a smug look, getting a scowl from the large pig in response. 

 

“Anyway, there’s someone who’s been showing up less and less lately; a Cinderace, think his name was Flint.”  

Nyx then brought his claws to his chin. “Though if you ask me, he seemed kind of shifty to begin with…” 

 

“Says the shape-changing thief,” Scorch remarked. 

“I take that as a complement. But I’ll have you know I’m taken,” Nyx casually retorted, grinning as he looked Scorch dead in the eyes. 

 

This caused the Emboar to roughly place his fist on the table. “Listen you little-” 

“Scorch stop it,” Draco cut him, raising his long, translucent tail between the two pokemon. “Maybe now would be a good time for that drink…”

---

 

Leone knew what she saw. And as much as she didn’t want to see him, there was part of her that needed to be absolutely sure. Steadily making her way through the room and up the stairs, she passed a Zoroark before coming to a full stop when she saw two familiar pokemon stationed at a table. The two were quietly speaking to each other, seemingly unaware of her presence. Leone sighed a breath of relief before turning to go back down, but then froze upon hearing her name.

“Leone?” Draco questioned, narrowing his gaze. The Purugly turned back around and slowly walked towards the table. Scorch glanced at the cat before quickly turning head away.

 

Leone took a deep breath before putting on a false smile to address the dragon type. “Hello Draco. Scorch …” She greeted, not bothering to hide her contempt for the Emboar. “What brings you here, if I may ask?” 

“Well, I was hoping the two of us could talk once we’re done here,” Draco said as he floated towards Leone. 

 

The Purugly gave a moment of thought before responding with a small nod. “Very well, but on the condition that you speak to me alone.” 

Draco smiled in relief. “Thank you.”

 

“Alright-” Nyx said, approaching the table with three drinks in hand. “They didn’t have any of the cheri brew, so I hope you like-” The Zoroark remarked as he set them down. He looked at other pokemon, feeling a sense of second-hand awkwardness when the new mood of the table hit him. His attention then turned to Scorch, the Emboar quickly grabbing one of the mugs before quickly downing its contents.

---

 

As Scorch and Nyx left, Draco and Leone moved to a table in the far reaches of the first floor. The two pokemon sat on either side of a table, discussing the job the Dragapult had become involved in. “And I suppose that you want me to help locate this Cinderace?” Leone asked with a raised brow. 

“It’d be a help,” Draco replied.

 

Leone paused for a while, thinking about Draco’s proposal before giving a sigh. “I will help you.” She grudgingly answered. “However, for as long as you decide to stay with Scorch, I would appreciate it if you will not make a habit out of asking me for favors.”

Draco’s face fell a bit upon hearing this, the pair of Dreepy resting in his horns even hanging their heads down as the Dragapult’s tail slowly dropped. “I understand… Thank you Leone.” 

Picking up on the dragon type’s sadness as he slowly floated away, a lighter expression formed on Leone’s face. “That does not mean we cannot still talk.”

… … …

 

“I just… could not be around Scorch anymore.” Leone said, trying to contain her anger. 

“ And yet you still helped him with a job…” Cinder thought before remembering what Hickory told her. 

 

‘If she was friends with your mom, then talking about this is probably upsetting her just as much as it is you.’

 

“Dammit Cinder, just stop it and let her explain!” The fire type thought. “So why did you still help them?” The Vulpix asked, trying to keep herself as outwardly calm as possible. 

 

“I did not do it for Scorch…” Leone answered. Before ever slightly looking past Cinder, towards the Dragapult floating behind the counter. 

“I did it for a friend.”

… … …

 

A couple of days after being assigned their job from Sable, Scorch, Draco, and Nyx were about to continue their search for the Cinderace; much to Hearth’s dismay. As the Ninetales was none too keen on being left on the sidelines again, especially after what Nyx and Scorch had told her about the job thus far. 

 

“Before you go, can you get me something to write with?” Hearth asked the visiting Zoroark. 

“What for?” Nyx responded, pulling a piece of charcoal and some papers from the bag strapped over his shoulder. 

“My last will and testament for when I die of boredom,” The Ninetales remarked with a slight scowl. 

 

“I guess the ballad of my grand adventures will have to wait for another day…” Nyx jokingly responded with a sigh. 

Seeing that the fire type’s mood hadn’t changed, Nyx’s expression softened before leaning in closer. “The moment this is all dealt with, we can spend some more time together. I promise.” 

 

“You better, or I’ll curse you for a thousand years.” Hearth said, giving a small smile. 

“Besides, now I don’t have to keep sneaking past the big guy to see you,” Nyx continued before the two foxes brought their snouts together, giving each other a slight nuzzle before they were interrupted by a familiar, loud voice. 

 

“Hurry the hell up Nyx!”

“And that’s my queue to go,” The Zoroark said, turning his head to the side as he narrowed his gaze. 

 

With that, Nyx steadily made his way towards the tent’s exit; turning around to face Hearth. “Look, I know he’s your friend, but-” 

“I’m sorry about Scorch. He’s just, you know …” 

There was a brief silence between the two as the atmosphere took on a more gloomy tone. “I just don’t know how the hell you put up with him for this long,” Nyx remarked, placing his claws across the bridge of his muzzle.

 

“I’ll… talk to him,” Hearth said, turning her head away from the Zoroark. However the fire type’s dejected mood soon changed upon feeling Nyx give her a peck on the cheek. 

 

The two smiled as the black and red fox stuck out a clawed hand. “ ‘Till we meet again, my-” 

“Nyx!” Both he and Hearth glanced in the direction of the voice, startled by the interruption. 

 

“Love you,” The Zoroark said before quickly slinking though the tent’s exit. 

 

Hearth sighed, shaking her head at the thought of the Emboar. Having noticed that ever since Scorch found out about her relationship with Nyx, that he had been a tad more bitter than normal. But at this point, Hearth honestly didn’t think there was much she could do to patch things between the two. 

“Scorch can at least pretend to make nice…” The Ninetales thought before looking down at the paper she was given. Grabbing the piece of charcoal with her teeth, Hearth then wrote ‘Names’ at the top of the page before staring long and hard at it. 

 

“Now… where do we start?”

---

 

“So how does this Emboar differ from your other… collectibles ?” A tanned, muscular, humanoid pokemon asked. 

“I simply think he shows potential Mason,” Sable smugly said. Using Psychic to levitate a small glass dish and cup off of the stone table in front of her before taking a sip. 

“That doesn’t answer my question.” The Conkeldurr replied as he placed a large hand on the table, sounding annoyed.

 

“I swear, you’re the only ‘mon I’ve seen drink wine out of a teacup.” A large metal-plated, draconic pokemon remarked. The Aggron sitting across from Sable then took a swig of his drink, slamming his mug onto the table afterwards. 

“Because I choose not to gulp it all down like you do,” The purple ghost type retorted, looking at the steel type’s empty mug. “And you ask me why I don’t bring drinks to these meetings anymore.”

 

Aegis responded with a roll of the eyes, crossing his arms as he turned his head. “Whatever,” The steel type scoffed. 

“And I’m with Mason on this one. Sounds just like another thug you swept into… whatever it is you have going on there,” The Aggron said as he dismissively waved his clawed hand. 

 

“What if I said he may be compatible with remnants,” Sable calmly responded before taking a sip. 

Mason began to cough, the Conkeldurr almost choking on his drink when he heard the ghost type. “How in the-” 

 

“Do you remember those metal bands I decided to get rid of?” Sable asked. 

“The ones you could’ve just given to me?” Aegis mumbled. 

“Just because I couldn’t find a bearer, doesn’t mean they get the pass to travel your digestive tract,” The Mismagius shot back with a glare. 

 

“ Anyway ,” Sable continued. “I just think that we should keep an eye on him is all.” 

“Are you suggesting we make him one of us?” Mason asked. 

“HA!” Aegis shouted, looking as if he were about to start laughing. “New members? We can handle things just fine on our own!” 

 

“That’s not your decision to make Aegis,” A gruff voice from the end of the stone room said. 

 

The three pokemon all turned their heads towards the source. A massive, olive-green reptilian figure a head taller than Aegis approached the table from the arched entrance, carrying a stern look on their face. 

The Tyranitar then turned his attention towards Sable, seemingly showing a level of intrigue. “We’ll talk about this later. Honestly I’m more interested in this auction you have planned,” Shale said before crossing his arms and giving a slight smile. 

Sable froze for a brief moment before quickly regaining her composure. “Yes… Well I can guarantee that it will be something memorable,” The Mismagius said with a forced grin. 

 

“Once I get the damned diamond back…”

---

 

Getting off of the carriage system, Scorch slowed his pace before his stride came to a stop. “What’s the hold up?” Nyx asked as he turned around. 

The Zoroark had an annoyed look on his face, being rather irritated with Scorch slowing down after his insistence for the dark type to hurry up earlier. “Go ahead without me,” Scorch answered. 

“So after the stink you rose earlier, you’re just not gonna go?” 

“Shut… Up…” The Emboar thought, as a very faint glow stemming from Scorch’s remnants appeared.

 

Seeing the Emboar balling his fists, Draco floated towards the fire type and between the two pokemon. “Alright, we’ll go,” He said before turning towards Nyx. “It’s probably for the best anyway.” 

The Zoroark glanced between his two teammates, giving a sigh and loosely raising his arms. “Fine.” 

Draco then looked back at Scorch, exchanging nods before turning around. With the duo’s sights set on reaching The Silver Claw for any possible leads, Scorch took it upon himself to find something to do.

 

After aimlessly wandering around the immediate area, Scorch once again found himself by the carriage system. However this time around, something interesting caught his eye. A Cinderace who was nervously glancing around, quickly tapping their foot as they waited for the next carriage to come down. Narrowing his gaze, Scorch stared at the white and orange rabbit for a bit until he heard something in the back of his mind. 

‘You know what you have to do… Demonstrate the power you’ve gained…’ The voice echoed as the remnants on his armbands gained a brief, faint glow. A vicious grin appeared across Scorch’s face as he steadily approached the Cinderace.

 

“Come on, come on…” The Cinderace muttered as his foot seemed to tap even faster, involuntarily creating small embers on the ground. However his foot came to an abrupt stop when he saw a large Emboar in his peripheral vision coming towards him.

Noticing how on edge the Cinderace was, Scorch made sure to keep his distance. Though he still made sure to stay just close enough in case the rabbit tried anything. A few moments later, the next carriage came down. And after waiting for a number of pokemon to get off, Scorch proceeded to follow the fellow fire type on board.

---

 

Reaching the street with the overhead arch, the duo approached the Silver Claw. However Draco and Nyx noticed that the atmosphere seemed a bit quieter this time around. A few  pokemon stood around the street, watching them as they moved past. Not looking any of them in the eyes, the duo soon reached the doors of Leone’s club; only to see a crudely made wooden sign reading ‘closed’. 

“Well that explains a bit…” Nyx thought as he glanced back at the pokemon behind them. The two groaned in frustration, as they had hoped to speak to Leone about any possible leads she may have gotten.

“Eghh, really?” Nyx complained, tilting his head back. As all the Zoroark wanted at this point was to get this job over with. Scorch was getting on his nerves, and the thought of disappointing Sable was one that the thief didn’t care to think about. 

 

“You two don’t know how to read?” A voice behind the duo said. Nyx and Draco turned around to see a Krookodile followed by a couple of other pokemon. “Better have a good reason for prowling around here.” 

“Friends with the owner I take it?” Nyx asked with a slight attitude in his voice. 

 

“So let’s maybe not piss them off…” Draco loudly muttered. 

Pinching the bridge of his snout, Nyx stuck out his other clawed hand and sighed. “Right. Sorry about that,” He said before looking at the striped crocodile, giving his best friendly smile. 

“It’s just been one of those days today. Like I get it, the place is closed and I get how that looks. But we just wanna talk to Leone, that’s all.” 

The Krookodile glanced at his companions who gave a few shrugs in response. “Fine.” 

 

Pushing past the two, the Krookodile knocked on the door in a distinct way that Nyx and Draco could only assume was a code of some kind. After a while the wooden door opened to reveal a tired Purugly, the cat’s blatant scowl and ungroomed appearance making it all the more clear that she had recently woken up. 

Leone narrowed her glare at the scene in front of her, and upon seeing the Dragapult and Zoroark she immediately knew what the two wanted. She nodded at the Krookodile who then stepped aside for the two to enter. 

 

Once inside, Draco and Nyx joined Leone at a table. Both of them tried to avoid looking the Purugly directly in the eyes, as her already sharp stare was only made more intimidating by her tired gaze. “Are we going to discuss this Cinderace situation or not?” Leone remarked in a monotone voice.

“Right… Sorry,” Draco said. “So did anything come up?” 

 

After holding up a paw and yawning, Leone gave her response. “There is a likelihood that your little friend has been meeting up with someone, as they have been seen making frequent trips between the second and third layers until very recently.” 

Nyx bridged his snout with his claws. “They’re still in the city, right?” 

Leone nodded. “Although if I were you, I would be prepared to deal with a potential accomplice.” 

“Noted,” Draco said with a nod. “Thank you for doing this.” 

 

“Of course. Just… try to refrain from making a habit out of this,” Leone replied as she glared off to the side.

 

“If I may ask-” Nyx said as he held up a claw. “How exactly do you get this kind of info?” 

Leone gave a smirk, her mood seeming to shift. “You would be surprised what other pokemon will admit to or talk about in a place like this.”

---

 

Getting off at the first layer, Scorch continued to tail the Cinderace. He managed to keep some distance between them, following them towards an area of shoddy looking houses that were closer to the city’s entrance. Scorch watched as the rabbit rounded a corner, likely going into one of these houses. 

Stealth was never really the Emboar’s strong point, but Scorch wasn’t about to lose his potential mark. He knew something like this was suited for someone like Draco or Nyx, but Scorch wasn’t going to let that stop him. The thought of which even seemed to strengthen his resolve, as Scorch began to see it as a way to upstage the Zoroark. 

 

“Now where’d you go…” Scorch thought as he rounded the same corner. Looking down the alley, he saw the Cinderace slip into one of the houses along the further end. 

 

“Perfect…” Scorch muttered as he continued forwards.

---

 

“Are you sure you weren’t followed?” A Feraligatr asked, crossing his arms. 

 

“I’m pretty sure,” The Cinderace said as he turned towards the large blue alligator. 

“ Pretty sure isn’t the same as sure.” A Leafeon remarked. The leaf covered cat shook their head. “You really should be more careful. Remember why we had to move things up here? We can’t afford any fuck ups, not now…” 

 

Flint sighed. “Well if you guys are done, I’d like to show you what I found.” 

The three gathered around a wooden table in the middle of the room as the Cinderace swung around the bag strapped over his shoulder. Opening it, he pulled out a pouch that he emptied out onto the table, watching as a pink, baseball sized jewel with an inner helix design rolled out onto the surface.

 

“Diancie’s diamond…” The Feraligatr said, staring at the jewel in awe. “We finally did it. Now all that’s left is to get this back to that tribe of Carbink.” 

“Well yeah, but there’s still Sable,” The Cinderace said before gesturing a paw at the diamond. “Do you have any idea how hard it was to even get that?” 

 

Furrowing his brow, Neptune slammed their scaly hand on the table. After removing it, a small egg-shaped badge with wings was left sitting in its place.

The Leafeon, expecting what was to come, gave their head a slight shake. “Here we go,” Elm remarked. 

 

“You know what that badge means-” 

“-Means we don’t leave a job half finished…” Flint cut him. 

“The guild picked us for a reason,” Neptune said with a confident grin before his face took on a more serious look. “And besides, if we can get this gem back, it might finally convince the guild to do something about this place.”

 

It was then that the trio of explorers heard knocking at the door, causing the mood to instantly turn. The three were dead silent as they turned their heads to the door, each displaying varying degrees of concern; Flint showing the most as he had gone just a few shades paler, staring mouth agape at the door. Taking note of this, Neptune stepped forwards as he gestured for the others to hide the diamond.

 

Taking a deep breath, the water type put his scaly hand on the door’s handle before sliding it open. Before him stood an Emboar giving a disingenuous smile. 

 

“Can I help you?” The Feraligatr asked. 

“As a matter of fact, you can.” The fire type responded. “But first, I wanna give you some advice… you may wanna buy some curtains,” He smugly said, gesturing his head towards the window in the nearby wall.

 

As what the Emboar told him began to sink in, Neptune didn’t get so much as a chance to react as the fire type quickly stomped on the Feraligatr’s shin. Quickly, Scorch put both his hands over the alligator’s snout, holding it shut before setting his hands ablaze.

Making the flames on his hands burst, Scorch sent the Feraligatr flying backwards into the wall. He then turned towards the Cinderace and Leafeon, glaring at the former as his remnants began to glow. 

 

“You’ve got something that doesn’t belong to you…”

---

 

A loud bang followed by the echo of crumbling rubble rang out through the First Layer. Several pokemon in the area turned towards the source of the commotion, the more skittish amongst them ran off while the braver amongst them took a good number of steps back and watched. Soon a Leafeon and Cinderace were seen scrambling out of the debris, both of which using Energy Ball and Pyro Ball respectively before running towards the city’s exit.

 

As they ran, the Leafeon glanced back for any sign of their team’s leader or their attacker; only for their eyes to widen in terror. Elm had hoped to see the Feraligatr catching up to them, but said pokemon’s body was instead careening through the air towards them. Quickly turning towards his teammate, the grass type yelled. “Flint! Look out-” But before the Cinderace could be adequately warned, the full weight of the water type about twice his size came crashing down on top of him. 

 

Turning towards the approaching Emboar, the Leafeon used Energy Ball once again, only for Scorch to set his hand ablaze and bat it back. Raising his arms, Scorch’s purple remnant began to glow as he slammed his fists onto the ground while using Hammer Arm. The trio of explorers felt a wave of force push them into a large wall of stone that had risen out from the ground as a result of the attack, cutting off their immediate escape.

 

Slowly pulling themselves up, Neptune, Flint, and Elm glanced back at the newly formed stone wall. “Dammit! We’re blocked off! What the hell was that?” The Feraligatr thought, noticing the veins of purple light that coursed through it. 

Glaring back at Scorch with his teeth bared, he saw that the Emboar was walking towards them. However the fire type’s stride was oddly calm, as if he were waiting for them to fight back. 

“On our mark, run.” The Feraligatr said as he stepped forward, mouthing out the end of his command to Elm. Puffing out his chest, the water type jutted forth his jaws as a pressurized blast of water released from them. 

 

Scorch once again repeated his prior action of slamming his fist into the ground while activating the spatial remnant. A large chunk of rock shot up from the ground to which Scorch then punched with his other hand, activating his temporal remnant to accelerate the speed of his improvised projectile. As the chunk of rock pushed against the water it was quickly blown apart, sending bits of stone flying through the air like shrapnel.

Being the closest, Neptune took the brunt of the blast. However the look on his scratched up face told Scorch that he was far from done, as a rush of water appeared under the Feraligatr before charging towards Scorch. At the same time, Flint passed his pouch to Elm before rushing towards the Emboar as well. The grass type then took the opportunity to use Helping Hand, sending his teammate a small boost of energy before trying to make a break for it and get around the wall of stone.

 

Kicking up a stone fragment from earlier, the Cinderace set it ablaze with his foot and kicked it forwards. He knew that it probably wouldn’t do too much, but as long as it caught the Emboar’s attention the plan would be a success. 

But that wasn’t what happened. As to the team’s surprise, a large bluish-purple blast went off as a shockwave riddled with fire pushed them all back as several jagged pillars of rock with glowing veins emerged from the ground in various spots around them. 

 

It was at this moment that the Cinderace began to notice that something was very, very wrong. He felt as if he should’ve hit the ground by now, but instead felt unexplainably slower compared to everything happening around him. It had all seemed to be the same as before, but now both he and his team’s leader were somehow suspended in the air.  

Each breath he took felt more suffocating than the last, as pressure seemed to be pushing down on him while remained in this state. The worst was only yet to come while he continued to fall slowly backwards, as Flint could only watch Scorch zip towards him at an unnatural speed. 

 

The Emboar then grabbed his leg with both hands, undoing whatever it was that he had done to the rabbit. But it was then that he felt an immense amount of pressure being applied to his leg before feeling something snap. Before Flint could fully register the pain however, Scorch quickly swung the Cinderace by his broken leg into one of the newly risen stalagmite-esqe pillars, knocking him out cold.

 

“And he doesn’t have it,” Scorch muttered as a blueish-purple light flickered in his eyes. Scanning his surroundings; his gaze fell upon the semi frozen Leafeon, doubting the Feraligatr would be holding what he was after. 

 

While he was mostly protected by the usage of his attack, Neptune felt a sharp pain in his side when he hit the ground. As whatever Scorch had done to him had begun to wear off after walking past them. Slowly rising to his feet, he looked down to see a sizable gash on the side of his stomach. Undoubtedly caused by one of the sharpened pillars Scorch had summoned. 

His gaze then turned to that of his teammates, glancing between the two. Refusing to let another member of his team fall victim to the Emboar, the Feraligatr clenched his fists and gathered his strength before using Hydro Pump. Sending the heavy stream of water into Scorch’s back. 

“GET AWAY FROM HIM!” Neptune shouted as he charged towards the Emboar. However to his surprise, Scorch would quickly whip himself around as he pulled himself back up. A blue glow showed in Scorch’s eyes before using Hammer Arm, slamming the Feraligatr in the stomach both as hard and fast as he possibly could. 

 

Hitting the ground, the Feraligatr watched as Scorch rushed towards him like he had to Flint. He was about to use Hydro Pump again, but immediately found his jaws being held shut. With all his might the water type began to struggle, grabbing and kicking at Scorch enough to make him lose his footing. The two used both Waterfall and Flare Blitz respectively, both pokemon trying to gain the upper hand as they beat and dragged each other across the ground.

Landing a hit on the Feraligatr’s wound, Scorch found himself winning out the scuffle. Leaning against the wall of a house, Scorch had the tired water type in a choke hold. ‘This has gone on for long enough… finish him!’ A voice in the back of Scorch’s mind echoed as the purple remnant on his arm glowed. He was about to use Hammer Arm to clamp down on the Feraligatr’s neck, but at that moment remembered something important. Sable had told him that she wanted them alive. 

 

‘Take back the diamond, and bring both it, and the offender back to me. Alive,’ The Mismagius’ words flashed in his mind. 

 

Scorch then slammed his fist into the side of the Feraligatr’s head, knocking them out. Pulling his bloodied self up Scorch looked over to where the leafeon was, only to find them gone. He cursed himself and the Feraligatr, kicking the downed water type before wincing in pain. Looking at his side, Scorch found what looked like bite marks. 

“ARCUS DAMMIT!” Scorch yelled as he punched the wall of the house, cracking it. After a short while, the Emboar heard a thud over his heavy breathing. Turning his head towards the source, Scorch found the Leafeon shivering in a heap on the ground. 

 

“Might I be of some assistance?” A voice from above asked. 

 

Looking up, Scorch saw a Gengar floating above him. The violet ghost’s wide grin immediately made Scorch feel uncomfortable, overtaking his anger. “What do you wan-” The Emboar asked before wincing. 

“Name’s Umbral,” The ghost type said as he landed on the ground. “Just figured I might be able to help with your… situation.” He said before pulling out the explorer’s pouch. 

 

Watching Scorch’s eyes light up at the sight on the pouch, Umbral made his next move. “I assume this is what you want?” He said, tossing the pouch up and down in his hand. 

“Cause I saw what you did there. Pretty impressive stuff.” 

“Give me… that pouch…” Scorch demanded between heavy breaths. 

 

“Sure,” The Gengar said as his smile only further broadened. “But… I kinda need you to do something for me-” 

“Shut up!” Scorch interrupted. “Just give it to me!”

“Maybe at least consider taking my offer,” Umbral proposed. “You probably shouldn’t make more of a scene then you have already.” 

 

Scorch looked around at the surrounding area as pokemon began to gather and survey what had happened. At this point the altered ground had begun to crumble and somewhat return to normal, but the overall damage done to the area was plain as day.

“Take my offer, and I can even get someone to check that out.” Umbral pointed at the Emobar’s injury.

 

Scorch was about to object, but found himself cut off by the strange Gengar. “ I don’t need your help ,” Umbral said in a deep, mocking tone. “That’s what you were gonna say, right?” 

The fire around Scorch’s neck flared up in irritation before quelling back down. Gritting his teeth and giving a sigh, Scorch yielded upon a sudden realization. “…Help me move them first.” 

With that, Umbral tossed the pouch to Scorch. “Now was that so hard?”

 

Quickly peeking inside, Scorch saw that the diamond was still sitting inside of the pouch. Looking up, he gave Umbral a knowing scowl. “A sign of good faith. Besides, maybe we could work together sometime,” The Gengar slyly proposed before giving each of the explorers a paralyzing lick. 

Scorch merely huffed in response as he heaved the Cinderace over his shoulder and grabbed the Leafeon, leaving the Feraligatr to Umbral. “Really? Making me move the big one?” The ghost type asked, partially dragging them while using psychic to move them. 

 

“You clearly want something,” Scorch groaned. 

“We can talk about that later,” Umbral insisted. 

 

“Just know that I’ll find you when I need you…” The ghost type replied with a sinister tone. Narrowing his crimson gaze, his eyes displayed a look of deviousness that could only belong to the worst Inferno’s Maw had to offer.

 

“Or maybe you’ll find me!” The ghost type continued, his demeanor quickly shifting to something more jovial. 

Scorch however paid no mind to Umbral’s display, as he was growing annoyed with the Gengar’s antics.

---

 

The next day for the members of Team Raiders was not one of celebration. Despite having completed an important job, the air hung heavy with tension amongst its top members. 

 

“All I’m saying is that it could’ve been handled more quietly,” Nyx frustratingly said, bridging his snout with his claws. 

“For the last, fucking , time… They were explorers !” Scorch argued back as he crossed his arms. “When it comes to greenscarfs, things will always come to blows! Or did you forget that?!” 

 

Nyx felt a slight burn in the back of his throat as a result of Scorch’s last remark. Standing up, the Zoroark narrowed his gaze at the large fire type. “You think I don’t know that?! It’s why I plan ahead! It’s why I try to make sure I know what I’m getting into! And It’s why I don’t just start swinging my fists around like a drunken Primeape-” 

“ I finished the job, and Sable got what she wanted!” Scorch cut in, smacking his chest as he stood up. The flames around his neck danced about wildly as he stomped towards Nyx. 

 

“So please, enlighten me… ” 

 

“Hey!” Hearth yelled, stomping towards the two while Draco watched from a distance. Turning their heads at the angry Ninetales, Nyx and Scorch both glanced at each other before the former let out a sigh. “Hearth, what are you-” 

“Yeah, yeah! I’m supposed to be resting!” She snapped, the fox’s eyes shifting away for a brief moment. “But how am I supposed to do that when you’re keeping me up and acting like fucking babies?!”

 

There was a long pause between Scorch and Nyx, until the Zoroark took a deep breath before holding up his clawed hand. “You’re right… I’m sorry,” Nyx said as he began walking towards the tent Hearth had come out of. 

Hearth then turned her attention to Scorch, who released a puff of smoke from his snout. “Fine… sorry.” Hearing the dismissiveness in his tone, Hearth rolled her eyes and turned back towards her tent. 

 

Seeing this brought a twitch to Scorch’s eye. “You little-” However his thoughts were cut short when he saw the Ninetales stop and turn back around. 

 

“Scorch… Can we talk?” 

After a short moment, she got a response from the fellow fire type in the form of a small nod. “Sure.”

 

The two pokemon soon walked a short distance away from the spot Team Raiders had claimed outside Inferno’s Maw. Where most activity, Team Raiders or otherwise was minimal. “What’s been going on with you?” Hearth asked, sitting by the Emboar’s side.

“Did you know we saw Leone a while back?” Scorch grumbled as he looked away from Hearth. 

“I’ve heard…” The Ninetales answered. 

“It’s been… different since she left,” Scorch said in a dejected tone. 

“Yeah… it has,” 

 

There was a moment of silence between the two as they began to think. “…Is that all this is about?” Hearth asked, feeling Scorch wasn’t giving her the whole truth. 

“Yeah. That’s all,” The Emboar flatly answered. 

“Can you do me a favor then?” 

“What?” 

 

“Can you lay off of Nyx?” Scorch immediately tensed up when he heard this, the fire around his neck flaring up for a brief moment before calming back down. However his breathing remained heavy as the pounding in his chest only grew faster. 

He had already lost Leone, and the idea of losing Hearth to some thief who thought he was better than him was unacceptable. These were the thoughts running though his mind, and were only making Scorch angrier, and frankly more jealous. 

 

“No… no, no, no, no, no! There is no possible way you are jealous of that-”  

“Scorch?” Hearth questioned as she turned her head, trying to get an answer out of the Emboar. 

“Yeah sure,” Scorch said before stomping off. 

 

Hearth sighed as she watched, sitting in place for a while before ultimately deciding to return to her and Nyx’s tent.

 

Draco followed Scorch as the Emboar later went back to his own area amongst the spot his team had claimed. He then stopped and puffed a flame from his snout. “What do you want?!” 

“You really should calm down,” Draco answered, still floating just out of immediate range of the fire type. “It’s not a good look at times like this… Planned or not, this is and should be a time of victory for the team.”

 

Scorch hesitated for a moment before Draco continued. “And maybe, just try to-” 

“Stay the hell outta my business,” Scorch cut him, giving a snort in frustration. 

 

The temptation to tell the Emboar that it was his business was strong, but the dragon type decided to hold his tongue. “This is gonna be harder than I thought Leone…”

… … …

 

Looking over towards Draco and his duo of Dreepy, Cinder watched as they arranged various bottles on the shelves behind the counter. “Friends, huh?” She thought before looking back at Leone. 

 

There was a brief silence amongst the group before the Purugly reluctantly continued. “It was after this job that I had asked Draco to keep a close eye on Hearth and Scorch for me.”

Cinder and Hickory glanced at each other, both having a similar feeling of where this story was going. Crash however seemed to be a bit off in his own world, still listening to what was going on around him, but the Scraggy clearly had something on his mind. 

 

“To my knowledge, Scorch only seemed to grow more bitter once Char had entered into the world,” Leone added, her scowl very much visible. 

 

Hearing this, Hickory began to think as he brought a vine towards his chin. “…Do you think he could’ve been jealous?” 

“What?” Cinder asked, as she and Crash both gave the Bayleef odd looks in response. 

“Of Nyx I mean, by the sound of things…” The grass type continued, sinking down a bit. 

“We heard ya,” Crash remarked, still giving Hickory an odd glare. “It’s just kinda hard to picture…” 

 

As she continued to watch from the deck above the group, Sienna sighed to herself. For as much as she respected Leone, the conversation only served to remind the Krokorok of why she didn’t keep friends close by. Everyone she worked with was to be kept a respectable distance, just enough to be allies and nothing more. But it was then that her attention turned to the Bayleef, thinking back to when he helped her on the Second Layer. 

Her tail whipped from side to side in irritation. ‘Why had he done that?’ Being the question running through the ground type’s mind again. Even the deal she had made with Leone was meant to benefit both sides, it was strictly business. Sienna gritted her teeth before once again listening to the conversation below.

 

Leone glared off to the side. “Regardless of the reason, I felt it necessary to ask Draco to keep an eye on things. Especially now that an egg was involved.”

… … …

 

In what was just shy of a week, Team Raiders had since left Inferno’s Maw after being tasked with another job by Sable. As the Mismagius wanted them to make a delivery to a bandit outpost bordering the desert of the Western Barrens. However before they had left, they gained an additional piece of cargo in the form of an auburn colored egg. Or at least that’s how Scorch saw it. As the Emboar pulled a wooden cart across the rough ground, he turned his head back at the happy couple. Hearth and Nyx were walking side by side, the Zoroark carrying the egg in a cloth that was strapped around his chest.

 

Seeing a cliffside in the distance ahead, Scorch decided this would be a good place to stop for now. As the group of bandits came to a halt, Scorch noticed that no one was getting anything set up as per normal. Instead, those who weren’t taking a breather were seemingly paying attention to Hearth and Nyx’s egg. A twitch formed in the Emboar’s eye as he glared at them, with most of his ire focused at the Zoroark.

Annoyed with the situation, Scorch’s remnants began to glow while some choice thoughts crossed his mind. Snapping himself out of it, the Emboar insead ground his foot into the rocky earth beneath; sending a noticeable ripple though the ground. Turning to see a tensed up Scorch, everyone quickly got the message and got to work.

 

As the sun had begun to set, Hearth finished creating a nest-like structure with the cloth Nyx used to carry it earlier. Nudging the egg into place, the Ninetales then gave it a long look from various angles before nodding to herself in approval. Hearth then turned her attention to the tent around her. Though in the Ninetales’ eyes calling it that would be a bit generous, as it was really just two wooden poles, and a large cloth hanging overhead that was nailed into the rocky wall behind her. 

Hearth didn’t mind, as she doubted she or the egg would be cold. But did have her suspicions that it was an act of pettiness courtesy of Scorch. As he knew both she and Nyx had been sleeping alongside each other throughout the whole trip.

 

“Well, speak of the devil…” Hearth thought, seeing the Emboar approach. Giving Scorch a tired glare, Hearth sighed in annoyance. “You want something?” 

 

Scorch glanced at the egg. “…If push comes to shove, are you still gonna be-” 

“Really? You’re acting like I forgot how to fight?” Hearth asked with a raised brow. Scorch huffed, glaring to the side. 

“I don’t know, never seen Nyx battle before. Don’t know how much he’s rubbed off on you.”

 

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” The Ninetales asked with a glare. Realizing what he’d just implied, Scorch grunted as he stuck out his hand. “I didn’t mean-” Cutting his explanation short, Scorch simply quieted down and turned his head to the side. 

“Oh… So that’s what this is about,” Hearth groaned with a more somber look on her face. “You know… last time we went over this, you said it was about Leone.” Scorch gave no response other than a shift of the eyes. 

“You know what, fine. Be like that…” Hearth said as she turned back towards her egg. Curling herself around it, Hearth watched as Scorch walked away in silence.  

 

A while later, Nyx returned to find Hearth laid around their egg in a dejected state. Noticing Nyx’s expression, Hearth sat up and looked the Zoroark dead in the eyes. “Did something happen while I was gone?” The dark type asked with raised brow. 

 

“…You and Scorch. I don’t know what to do about this anymore,” 

Nyx ran his claws through his red and black mane. “Look, the past few days, I’ve tried-” 

“I know… I know you’ve tried to keep your distance. But that’s not the problem.” 

 

“He’s still my friend… at least I want to think so,” Hearth continued, sinking down as her eyes began to tear up. 

Nyx gritted his teeth. “To be frank, I’d be lying if I knew exactly what to do.” He said with a perplexed look. However it soon turned into a comforting smile as the Zoroark sat beside the fire type. 

 

“You know, you’re the first pokemon I’ve felt this way about,” Nyx said as he looked up at the stars sprinkled throughout the now darkening sky. “And I really want this to work between us. Especially now…” 

“I feel like there’s a but coming,” Hearth responded, turning her gaze away as she slumped over. 

 

“Which is why I’m not going anywhere.” She heard the Zoroark say. 

 

Looking back at him, Hearth then leaned her head on the dark type’s side. “I just wish he didn’t hate you…” 

“Well you can’t change how every pokemon feels about things. I mean if I could, I would’ve gotten Sable to choose a different game by now.”

 

This got a slight chuckle out of Hearth, the Ninetales giving a smirk as she breathed slightly harder than normal. “There’s that smile…” Nyx remarked. 

“She beat you again before we left, didn’t she?” Hearth slyly asked as she repositioned herself around the egg. However, despite her change in demeanor, the tone in the Ninetales’ voice still held a degree of sadness. 

 

“Not the point.” Nyx quickly retorted as he stuck out a claw. “But I’m sure we’ll figure something out.” He continued, giving a yawn as he laid back on the ground.

---

 

It was later that night that Nyx felt something shoving into his side. Waking up, he was about to voice his thoughts on having his sleep interrupted, but instead froze at the sight before him. A bright glow emanated from the egg, signaling that it was going to hatch soon. The next few moments felt like an eternity as the two foxes watched, holding their breaths as a web of cracks formed along the egg’s shell.

 

A faded yellow paw would soon breach the shell as the glow began to fade. As more cracks appeared, more of the pokemon inside was revealed to Hearth and Nyx; until eventually a small yellow Vulpix emerged from the remaining pieces of shell surrounding it. 

Blinking a few times, they seemed oblivious to the large fragment that was still on top of their head. Hearth and Nyx both glanced at each other before staring at the pokemon sitting before them. Neither of them said anything, but were both sure they were thinking the same thing. 

 

“Does this mean we’re parents now?”

 

Hearth leaned forward to nudge the last piece of eggshell from the Vulpix’s head. “There you go little guy…” 

With his eyes locked on Hearth’s paw, the Vulpix looked up and fell back onto the cloth the egg had been secured in. Hearth chuckled at this before righting her son’s position. “I hope you’re ready for a real adventure Char…”

---

 

As the next few months passed, Team Raiders had reached a new sense of normalcy as the jobs given to them by Sable occurred almost like clockwork. Whether it be making deliveries for the Mismagius, or hunting those down that were deemed a threat or a nuisance. Scorch was more determined than ever to show what he and his team had to offer, as around this time he and Team Raiders had begun to make quite the name for themselves both inside and out of Inferno’s Maw. 

 

The Inferno. That’s what the wanted posters had begun to call him. Scorch couldn’t help but chuckle at this title the guild had supposedly given him after a string of attacks on towns and exploration teams. But at the same time, the Emboar couldn’t help but take some pride in it. 

“Scorch the Inferno… gotta admit I like the sound of that…” Scorch thought as he stared at the paper in his hand before tossing it to the side and looking around the camp.

 

On this occasion, Team Raiders had traveled a good amount further than normal. Sand and stone had turned into something more green, the forest all but replacing the barrens they had grown used to seeing. 

 

Hearth watched as Scorch barked out orders to her fellow bandits, sighing as she closed her eyes and turned to the side. As of late, Hearth could feel that both she and Scorch were steadily drifting apart. While the two were still on good terms, Hearth found that they didn’t seem to talk as much as they used to. Looking behind her, she saw Nyx ‘playing’ with Char; the Zoroark allowing the young Vulpix to repeatedly dive in and out of his fluffy mane as he lay on the ground. 

Seeing that Nyx had things under control, Hearth made her way towards the center of the camp where Scorch finished up with a handful of pokemon. However she couldn’t help but glance back at Nyx and Char again, as a nagging feeling dwelled in the back of her mind. 

 

Making her presence known, the Ninetales spoke up. “You’ve been pushing everyone a lot harder than normal lately,” Turning his head towards Hearth, Scorch crossed his arms. 

“I wasn’t gonna say anything, but this job’s a bit more important than the last few.” 

 

Hearth tilted her head in confusion. “How so?”

Scorch narrowed his gaze. “It’s greenscarf related.” 

“In what way?” Hearth skeptically asked. “Cause there’s a difference. And I don’t really feel like doing a repeat of Cliffpass.” 

 

Scorch held his tongue at the mention of the Cliffpass job and continued. “It could decide how much closer we get with the elites.” 

Hearth rolled her eyes. “You’re still set on getting all buddy-buddy with them, huh?” 

“Do you have any idea how much-” 

“They control, they can do for us… yeah, yeah I know,” Hearth cut him. But after this, she abruptly paused. The Ninetales looked like she was about to continue speaking, but instead had stopped herself. 

 

“Well?” Scorch said, knowing his teammate had more to say. Hearth’s tails flicked about nervously as she thought about how to carry on this conversation. 

“…Nothing, it’s nothing.” 

 

Scorch huffed as he turned around. “Whatever. I want you on this one, so just be ready for later.” 

“You know you didn’t answer my question.” Hearth said with a glare. 

 

Scorch tensed up, still keeping his back to the Ninetales. “We’re capturing a guild outpost.”

 

Hearth watched the Emboar walk away before doing the same. Approaching Nyx, she tapped him in the side of his head. “Egh-huh?” The Zoroark groggily answered as he looked up to see Hearth standing over him. 

“I need you to watch Char a little longer.” 

“I take it you were summoned?” 

“Yep,” Hearth answered with false enthusiasm. “And it’s explorer related .”

 

She then glanced around her mate before pawing at his red-furred mane. Soon she felt something push back against her paw. 

“I know you’re in there…” She said in a softer tone as she leaned in closer. It was then that Char popped up to be face to face with his mother. 

“Now mommy’s gonna be gone for a while, so be good and stay close to daddy,” Hearth said, getting a quick nod in response from the Vulpix.

 

“Alright! Let’s go!” The three heard Scorch yell, causing Char to hastily duck back down into Nyx’s mass of fur. This got an aggravated sigh from Hearth, who glared back at the Emboar. 

Turning back towards Char, she nudged him back out and gave him a kiss on the forehead. “I’ll be back soon. The sooner the better… ” The Nintales said, leaving that last part out. 

 

For a while now Hearth had considered leaving Team Raiders, as the continued thought of staying around with a child had been stirring very unfavorable scenarios in her head. Where she, Nyx, and Char would go however was another question to come up; one that would shortly be followed by ‘How will I break this to Scorch?’

 

Nyx sat up to meet Hearth’s eyes before sharing a quick kiss. “I’ve heard that explorers have been pretty on edge lately.” The Zoroark said. 

“You do know who you’re talking to, right?” Hearth confidently answered, earning her a slight glare from the dark type. “But I’ll be careful… promise.”

“Never doubted you for a moment,” Nyx joked, giving a toothy, shit-eating grin to the Ninetales. 

 

“You suck, you know that,” Heath said with a smile as she turned to walk away, intentionally brushing her tails against Nyx’s face.

---

 

Further into the woods, Scorch, Hearth, and three other pokemon stood over a ledge overlooking a dirt path. “So wait for a caravan carrying Arceus knows what, and loot it? Doesn’t really sound like the game changer you made this out to be,” Hearth remarked. 

“Just figured we’d make a stop first,” Scorch answered with a wicked grin, keeping his eyes on the trail below.

 

“What makes you so sure they’ll show?” Hearth asked as her tails idly waved about. 

“Word says it’s a path frequently used by guild ‘mons. So long as we’re quick enough, we can hit the outpost too without any problems.”

 

Sure enough, after a while a covered wagon being pulled by a large brown horse with a thick black mane came into view. A Breloom, Gigalith, and Audino walked alongside the wagon, and like the Mudsdale were each wearing dark green bandanas. However, to Hearth’s intrigue she noticed the pink, rabbit-like creature go towards the back of the wagon; as if they were checking something. ”Hey, wait-” 

“Everyone get ready!” Scorch interrupted.

 

Scorch smirked as the explorers positioned themselves right where he wanted them to be. Activating his spatial remnant, he took a deep breath and jumped down from the ledge. The others followed as Scorch used Hammer arm, sweeping his strengthened appendage to create a shockwave through the air that put a divet in the ground and staggered the explorers. Picking themselves up as the group of bandits landed, the Mudsdale was met then with Hearth’s Energy Ball attack, hitting the draft horse square in the face. 

 

After the Mudsdale collapsed, the rest of the explorers took a step back. “HOLY SHIT IT’S HIM!” The Breloom yelled after getting a better look from behind the Gigalith. 

“The Inferno…” The boulder-like quadruped growled, glaring at the Emboar.

 

“So you guys really are calling me that…” Scorch replied, showing some intrigue. 

 

The air grew tense as the Emboar stepped forward, watching as Hearth and the others surrounded the wagon. Only the sounds of the forest, footsteps, and heavy breaths could be heard as no one aside from the team of bandits moved.  

As Hearth headed for the back, she couldn’t help but feel that something was off. The look the Audino gave her as she walked past stirred something within her, as for whatever reason the Ninetales felt a tinge of guilt that she quickly tried to shove back down. 

 

Reaching a flap in the back, Hearth could hear something that sounded almost like light, fearful breaths. Peeling it back, the Ninetales froze as her eyes widened in shock. “Arceus above…”

 

Backing away, a stunned Hearth looked back at Scorch. “Hey uh… there’s not much back here!” She loudly said, her voice wavering a bit. This information was met with a low groan of annoyance from the Emboar. 

“Yeah…” The nervous Breloom followed up. “So if you could let us-” 

“Not gonna happen.” Scorch cut him as he ignited his hands. “Can’t have you following us around, now can we?”

“Like hell you will.” The downed Mudsdale spat, sweeping his leg into Scorch’s shin. 

 

With that, the Gigalith followed this up by tackling the Emboar off the main path while the Breloom hopped onto the Mudsdale’s back. Giving an oran berry to his teammate, the mushroom-like creature roughly patted the horse’s back. “GO!”

 

Hearth watched as the other bandits attacked, one of them went to aid Scorch while the other two split up. One joined the Ninetales near the Audino, while the other went after the wagon. Scorch struck the ground with his flaming fist as he activated his Spatial remnant. A sizable detonation went off on the rock type’s side, sending the Nidoking that went to help Scorch flying back. 

Clenching his fist, the purple remnant glowed brighter as Scorch and the Gigalith began to rapidly float upwards. The two wrestled through the air, exchanging several blows before Scorch got a good view of the ground below. Just as he’d hoped, the two explorers manning the wagon were still in decent range, only slightly higher up the path.

 

A wide, toothy grin appeared on the Emboar’s face as his hold on the Gigalith strengthened, tightly gripping onto the rock type’s protruding red crystals. Scorch ignited his body and then some with Flare Blitz as he once again activated both of his remnants. He poured a purple and blue aura over both the Gigalith and himself, but mostly over the former. 

The rock type began to panic, suddenly feeling himself becoming unnaturally heavy as Scorch’s hold over gravity intensified. “How the hell is he doing all of this?!” He frantically thought before the two rocketed back towards the ground in a raging inferno.

 

Hearth stood by as the other bandits struck the wall of light that appeared in front of the Audino who was trying to keep the bandits from passing them. The normal type’s Reflect was only able to hold off their attacks for so long before having to resort to a counter-attack with Dazzling Gleam. Using the detonation of blinding light to get something out of their bag. 

However before they could use the seed they had taken out, the four pokemon were sent flying back as a deafening crash interrupted their battle. The sudden explosion heavily fractured the ground, sending the remnant’s energy pouring into the surface before large chunks of the terrain, pokemon, and the wagon began to rise off the ground. They all levitated in place as if Scorch himself had a grip on them, only for it all to slam back down. 

 

Hearth cringed at the ringing in her ears before steadily pulling herself to her feet. She looked around at the devastation before her, the surrounding area looking as if a number of bombs had gone off. Trees were downed and on fire, smoke permeated through the air, and every other pokemon she could see likely weren’t getting up anytime soon.

But then there was the Audino, who like the Nintales managed to get up. The two caught a glimpse of each other before locking eyes, prompting the normal type to get into a desperate battle stance. Noticing the Audino’s shaky posture, Hearth shook her head to call a truce before continuing to walk. The two trudged towards what remained of the wagon, searching for any sign of their teammates.

 

Through the smoke, Hearth could make out Scorch slowly walking out of the flaming crater he and the Gigalith had made in the ground. Rising from the rubble with an odd glow, and look of bloodlust in his eyes. After getting some of her stamina back, Hearth rushed towards the wagon which at this point was burning and in pieces, its contents now spilled out into the open. This included a small amount of what was now useless supplies, and two small, green snakes with leaves on their tails. 

Seeing this and the Audino slowly limping towards them, Scorch ignited his fist as the flames around his neck flared up. “Not much back there huh?” Hearth could hear Scorch growl, her eyes widening when she realized what the Emboar was going to do. 

 

‘Time is not something to be wasted… Show them what happens to those who waste yours…’ A whisper in the back of Scorch’s mind echoed.

 

Swinging his arm and activating his spatial remnant, a wave of fire swept towards the Audino and Snivys. The two young grass types closed their eyes and huddled together as they braced for the attack. But to both their and Scorch’s surprise, Hearth jumped in front of them to take the attack. 

“What the hell are you doing?!” The Emboar yelled. 

 

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” Hearth yelled back after her body absorbed the flames, being pushed back by the force mixed within the attack. 

“These are literal fucking kids Scorch!” 

 

In her rage, Hearth hadn’t noticed the bluish-purple glow in his eyes until Scorch was standing right in front of her. It was then that everything began to feel strangely heavy, as if something was pushing down upon everything around her. Scorch loomed over the Ninetales as she struggled to stand, the odd glow now spreading to the flames around his neck. 

“Get out… of my way…” He threatened, raising his arm in preparation to attack. 

“Or what?! You’re gonna hit me?!” Hearth argued, gritting her teeth. 

 

“Do it Scorch! Move me out of the way and hit me !”

 

The tension grew as the only sounds present was the crackling sound of fire quickly spreading through the forest. Hearth and Scorch glared at each other for what felt like an eternity, the ladder’s hold over the area’s gravity slowly growing with his rage. Nothing else mattered in this moment except for getting the other pokemon to back down, but soon the glow in Scorch’s eyes and remnants quickly faded; leaving the Emboar to yell and drop to his knees in pain as his fire briefly sputtered out. 

Hearth relaxed her stance, buckling to her knees as the invisible, crushing weight disappeared. She watched as the other clearly injured bandits laboriously picked themselves up. Soon after, the sound of voices in the distance caught Hearth’s attention; and by the sound of it there were a lot of them. Looking at the growing fire, she put together that the flames must have gotten the outpost’s attention. With the element of surprise now gone, and Scorch not being in the state to fight properly, Hearth turned towards the others. 

 

“We’re leaving!”

---

 

Nyx and Draco attempted to listen in as Scorch and Hearth argued in a spot that was further from the rest of Team Raiders. The two were moving various supplies and putting them away, all as the former tried to keep Char occupied. Everyone around them was frantically packing everything up, the possibility of incoming explorers and Scorch’s fury being two strong motivators. 

“The hell do you think happened out there?” Nyx quietly asked as he leaned towards the Dragapult. Without answering, Draco sent out one of the Dreepy in his horns to get a better listen. 

 

“WE FUCKING HAD THAT!” Scorch yelled, wincing as his remnants activated. However this time, glowing veins appeared on his arms, slowly spreading their way up. 

 

“NO! YOU COULD HAVE KILLED US, DO YOU GET THAT?! YOU’VE LOST YOUR DAMN MIND SCORCH!” Hearth shouted back. 

“So now you’re worried about our team!” 

“I didn’t come along with you to kill kids!” 

 

“And I don’t have a place for weakness on this team!”

All of the sudden there was a deafening silence that hung over the two, only for it to be broken moments later by Hearth’s heavy breathing. “…Fine. I’ll go then.” 

 

The Ninetales’ words had left Scorch stunned, the glowing veins quickly fading as Emboar replayed what he had just heard in his head. “What?” 

“I said, I’m leaving!” Hearth snapped. “Or do I have to say it slower for you?!”

 

In an instant, Scorch’s flames calmed as his arms went limp. His breaths hastened, and his body trembling as he watched the Ninetales he had known for about half his life walk away from him. However, to the fire type’s surprise she stopped in her tracks before turning her head back. 

“Those… things are doing something to you. You should get rid of them,” Hearth then looked ahead once again as she continued to walk.

… … …

 

“Those were the last words that she spoke to Scorch before she left Team Raiders.” Leone said with a hardened stare. 

 

Cinder could begin to feel her body heat up again, as hearing more about Scorch only made the Vulpix hate him more. Trying to stay calm however, she once again looked at the Purugly. “And then what?” 

“In the dead of night, both Hearth and Nyx ran off with each other in search of a new life. But it was not until much later that I found out that the two had stolen one of the remnants.”

 

“Wait, they stayed together?!” Cinder inquired, sounding shocked at this revelation. 

“No… no, Nyx can’t be my dad. Char’s? Sure, but-” But it was at this moment that Cinder froze when she remembered something important, the sudden realization smacking the Vulpix like a ton of bricks. The fact that Zoroarks could change their appearance whenever they saw fit. 

 

CInder slumped down as the anger began to subside. “-my dad was a Typhlosion…”

… … …

 

It had been about thirteen years since Hearth and Nyx parted ways with Team Raiders, having since settled in a town near the region’s Eastern Forests. Nyx took on yet another new name alongside a form to go with it, that of a bipedal yellow and dark blue badger. Unlike Hearth who only began dying parts of her fur darker. With: ‘Hearth is a pretty common name amongst fire types. There’s only so many names out there relating to flames.’ Being her go to excuse if anyone began to pry. But despite having to hide their criminal pasts, the two pokemon could safely say they were both happy.

 

“Char! No fair!” A high pitched voice called out. 

 

Hearth rolled her eyes before stepping towards the window, looking out at the town’s main square. There, in front of the house was her youngest, Cinder; pinned to the ground by her older brother. 

“They’re playing ‘guild’s and bandits’ again aren’t they…” Hearth thought a deadpan expression.

 

“You give up?” Char asked in a cocky tone. 

“Never!” The other Vulpix shouted back. 

 

“I wonder who’s who this time…” Hearth thought as she continued to watch them. “I should probably put a stop to this before things go too far…”  

 

“Looks like I win agai- Ah!” Char bragged before letting a small yelp as he felt a sharp pain in his foreleg. 

“What the hell Cinder!” Char shouted before the two Vulpix saw their mother exit the stone house. Quickly picking themselves up, Crar and Cinder made their best attempt to act like nothing had happened. 

 

“Do I want to know?” Hearth asked, staring down at the siblings. 

In his peripheral vision, Char could see Cinder take a step back. “Everything’s fine mom.” Char said with a straight face. However the slight wavering of his voice told Herath that something was off. 

“Let me see it.” Hearth insisted, seeing right through her son’s lie.

---

 

The inside of the house was something Hearth would have considered to be out of a storybook. It wasn’t that big, but it was enough space for what she and the others needed it for. Char and Cinder followed Hearth inside towards a shelf laying against the wall.

 

“It’s really not that bad,” The yellow Vulpix said, sticking out his foreleg as Hearth put the finishing touches on the bandage she wrapped over it. 

 

The Ninetales then looked at Cinder. “And you’re too old to be biting like that.” 

“Sorry…” The smaller Vulpix said as she looked down. 

Char let out a small, but nervous laugh. “Honestly, it’s kinda my fault. May have gone a bit too far.”

 

Hearth sighed before closing the box of bandages and putting it onto the shelf, accidentally knocking over another box in the process. It was wood, and had an image of a stylised flame etched into the top. 

“Shit-” Hearth mutered, quickly backing away from it. The Nintales waited for a moment before giving the box a tap with her paw. 

 

“Is something wrong?” Char asked as his tails lowered.

Leone had given that box to her about three years ago during a surprise visit, prompting the Ninetales to wonder when her friend might show up again. However this quickly turned into a feeling of confliction, as the box’s contents brought up memories she’d rather forget about. 

 

“I’m fine.” 

 

“How come you always look like that when you see that thing?” She heard Cinder ask. 

“Yeah, you said your friend gave it to you, right?” Char added.

“It’s a long story…” Hearth said in a dejected manner. 

“Are we still not allowed to touch it?” Asked Cinder, giving a curious tilt of her head. 

Hearth didn’t answer the question, but the slackening of her tails told the two Vulpix all they needed to know. “You know what?” Hearth said with a quick change of tone. “I think lunch would sound good about now.”

---

 

“Do you know when dad’s coming back?” Cinder asked. 

“Should be soon,” Hearth said before spewing a flame from her mouth into the fireplace. “It doesn’t take that long to-” 

 

Just then, the Ninetales was interrupted by a loud, bang from outside. The three froze as the sound echoed, only for it to happen again. Cinder ran and hid behind the stone counter beside her mother.

“What was that?!” Char frantically asked. 

 

“Can’t be anything good…” Hearth thought as her tails anxiously whipped around. 

“Char, stay here with Cinder. I’ll be right back,” The Ninetales said as she marched towards the door. Before opening it however, Hearth turned her head back at the two Vulpix. 

“You have to do this Hearth… Just in and out, they’ll be fine…” She thought, as her body tensed up. Taking a deep breath, Hearth steeled her resolve and stepped outside.

 

What met the Ninetales was a stark contrast to the peaceful day she had started out with. As several pokemon ran frantically throughout the streets while smoke billowed in the distance. “A fire?” Hearth mumbled to herself. 

 

“Hey! What the hell’s going on?!” She yelled, grabbing the attention of one of the town leaders, an Absol who was guiding others away to safety. 

“Keep going that way.” He said to the other pokemon before turning towards Hearth. “It’s bandits! Near the west of town!”

 

Hearing this, Hearth glanced at the fire again. It was at this moment that a strong wave of guilt washed over the Ninetales, as memories of her past deeds flashed through her mind. 

“So this is what it’s like… No, you can feel bad for yourself later…” Hearth thought before looking back at the Absol with a newly determined expression. However before she could speak, a panicked Typhlosion came running towards them.

 

“ Ny -Sol!” Hearth shouted, almost letting the Typhlosion’s real name slip. 

“It’s Team Raiders!” The badger exclaimed, catching his breath. 

 

Those words made Hearth’s eyes widen in horror as memories of Scorch came flashing back  to her. “…What?” 

“The Inferno? He’s… here?” The Absol quietly asked with a sense of dread in his voice, slowly bringing a paw to the metal pendant around their neck. A pronged ring with four specks of green along its rim, and a round bluish-gray stone with a helix embedded in its center.

 

Hearth’s thoughts went to both her children and the box. “Did you see Scorch?!” 

Nyx shook his head. “No, but he has to be somewhere around here-” 

Getting an idea, a reddish-purple light engulfed the Typhlosion and revealed his true form. “I think I can buy some time.” 

 

The Absol took a step back in shock at the Zoroark’s reveal. “What-” 

“We can talk about this later, I just need your help for this,” Nyx interrupted. “Please…” With some slight hesitation, the Absol nodded. 

 

“Get the kids out of here.” Nyx said, looking back at Hearth. 

“Everyone is gathering by the east side of town.” The Absol added. “Do be sure to hurry.” 

 

“Just… be careful. Please,” Hearth replied, looking the dark type dead in the eyes. 

Nyx nodded, carrying a more serious look on his face. “Always.” 

 

The three then split up, with Hearth running back to the house. “How the fuck did he find us?!” The Ninetales frantically thought before she burst through the door. 

 

“Char! Cinder! We have to go! Right now!”

The two Vulpix watched as their mother ran around the house in a frenzy, hearing her repeat the words ‘Where is it?! where the hell is it?!’ 

 

Finding a messenger bag, Hearth then raced towards the shelf and pushed the box holding the remnant inside. Between quick, heavy breaths Char sped up to the Ninetales. “What’s going on?!” 

Securing her bag, Hearth looked at the Vulpix with a serious, but fearful glare. “There’s bandits outside the town, and we have to go. Now.”

---

 

Cinder and Char closely followed Hearth out onto the cobblestone streets alongside a number of other panicked pokemon. “Stay close to me.” The Ninetales said, using her bundle of tails to try and hide the two Vulpix from view. 

They could see the spot where most of the town’s pokemon were gathering, however as they neared the east side of town Hearth began to feel that something was wrong. Her fur stood on end as the air grew strangely calm. She quickly thought back to the fire and bandits to the west of the town.

 

“Team Raiders was there, but not Scorch… ” The whole thing reeked of a setup in Hearth’s mind. “ Then where did he-”  

 

It was at that moment that a flash of fire swept through the group of pokemon, the large, rocketing fireball just barely passing by the Nintales before it stopped a good distance away. The flames soon dispersed in a dramatic fashion, burning the nearby houses and revealing the leader of Team Raiders himself. 

As he stood with his back to her, Scorch turned his head back and glared. For a split second Heath could have sworn that she and the Emboar had locked eyes, sending a wave of panic through her. Quickly grabbing Cinder by the scruff, Hearth ran off to the right as Char followed closely. 

Leaving the town’s borders and reaching the forest’s edge had been fortunately as uneventful as it could be given the circumstances, only running into a couple of stray bandits on the way that Hearth was able to quickly deal with. However the main thing on the Ninetales’ mind was the fear that Scorch had seen her, but more importantly that he had seen Char and Cinder. 

 

Without thinking, Hearth slipped off her bag and gave it to Char as she pushed him and Cinder into the forest’s brush. “Stay here, hide, and don’t let anything happen to that.” 

Char worriedly glanced at the bag. “But-” 

 

“I’ll be right back…” Hearth said, trying to switch to a more soothing tone. “I promise.”

---

 

Stepping out of the brush to check both for danger and for any sign of Nyx, Hearth’s heart was pounding as she made it closer to town. But instead, the sight before the Ninetales made her blood run cold. 

 

There, standing calmly at the edge of the town was Scorch. Fires and ruined houses lay behind the Emboar as his body crackled with a light blue energy, blood trickling down his body as he gave deep, heavy breaths. But despite this, he just stood there as if he were waiting for her.

 

Hearth could only stare back, as Scorch seemed to be calm at this moment. His flames no longer roared like a wild beast, and the energy surrounding him steadily began to fade. Every part of Hearth’s body was telling her to run, but where would she run to? She couldn’t lead Scorch back to Char and Cinder, that was out of the question. 

 

Hearth didn’t know what it was, but something inside her compelled the Ninetales to step forward and face her former friend. The Ninetales’ posture straightened, taking a deep breath. 

 

“No more running…”

---

 

It had been a while since Hearth said she would come back, and the two Vulpix were growing more and more restless. The siblings could hear the attack on their town, and see the flames that now engulfed it. And it made Char angry. He couldn’t just stay there hiding, he needed to see what was happening. 

The yellow Vulpix stepped forward with a determined look, only to stop dead in his tracks with an expression of pure terror.

 

Near the edge of the town, was a large Emboar who was holding his mother up by the neck. Only… she wasn’t moving. Not even after Char saw them drop her to the ground before letting out a bestial scream and a tempest of flames. 

 

“Char? What’s-” The smaller Vulpix didn’t even get to finish her question before she saw her older brother turn and run further into the woods. 

“Char! Wait!” Cinder yelled, trying to catch up. “Mom said to wait-” 

 

“W-We… w-we… We need to leave,” Char said between heavy breaths, his thousand yard stare only gazing deeper into the forest. 

“But-” 

“…She’s not coming back, Cinder!” Char snapped as his body tensed up. 

“ They’re not coming back …”