Written by Dax AKA Plagoo ________________ Chapter 1
Rays of morning sunshine passed between planks of a boarded-up window, as the rising sun slowly illuminated more of a cramped, messy room. A dresser with drawers, boxes of various sizes, small chests, loose items, and two mattresses, one sitting on a few boxes, were all packed into an attic barely large enough to contain everything. Lying on the mattress on the floor, wrapped tightly in heavy blankets, was a Riolu who was just stirring awake. The small, blue Pokémon let out a groan as the room got too bright for him to stay asleep. After a few moments of stirring, Dax stood up and stretched, letting the blankets fall into a messy pile. He spent a few moments looking around the room, his emerald-green eyes focused on various things while his gray-tipped ears strained to listen to distant sounds. Barely hearing the chatter of the nearby market, the canine's eyes opened wide. “Oh no! Oh no no no,” Dax muttered to himself, as he dropped to his knees and started searching through the mess of the room for something. After a minute of frantic searching, he pulled a small clock out from under some rags. Two marks past curfew being lifted. Dax let out a whimper and whined to himself, “Ugh, Mollie’s gonna kill me.” The Riolu carefully stepped over to the dresser and picked up his dark blue hooded scarf. He pulled it over his head and wrapped the scarf around his neck before he threw the ends over his shoulder and lowered the hood. He pulled a messenger bag out of a drawer and moved over to one of the boxes under his sister's mattress. Reaching into the box, he pulled out a small glass bottle with a cork stopper. A viscous, dark blue fluid filled the bottle, with a small label that said Oran on it. Dax reached into the messenger bag, past the various berries and pouches of Poké, to a concealed pocket at the bottom of the bag, and stuffed the bottle into its hiding place. After climbing down a wooden ladder, the Riolu landed in a short hallway. His paws made no noise on the stone floor as he made his way to the main room of the house. The combination living room-kitchen had the house’s seed-oil burning furnace, which pulled triple-duty as the stove, oven, and heat source for the house, meaning this was always the coziest room in the place. The dark bricks the house was built from did a good job of baking in the sun and holding in heat, but nights in the city of Chickadee were unforgivably cold. Sat in a cushy armchair near the furnace was a Flaaffy, busy knitting something. “Heading out, dear?” the elderly Flaaffy inquired of Dax, not looking up from her knitting. “Mollie said you may be running late today, so I left a Chesto Berry on the table, give ya a bit of energy for the day.” “Yes, ma’am. Thank you, Emmy,” said Dax, as he moved to the table, grabbed the berry, and immediately took a bite. A light buzz of energy struck his mind as he felt wide awake. He made his way towards the front door and slid the bolt that secured the door. Before he could leave, Emmy spoke up. “By the way, the recent freeze left me low on seed-oil. And ever since I agreed to let you and your sister put a pipe from the furnace up to the attic, I’ve burned through twice as much of the stuff. Keeping your tenant agreement in mind, I’m sure you wouldn’t mind picking some seed-oil up? A few bottles ought to do,” the Flaaffy delivered her request without ever taking her eyes off her project. Dax did some calculations in his head, thinking about how much Poké he would make today and how much the seed-oil would cost, in addition to his other planned purchases. Not sure he would be able to break even, he somewhat sheepishly said, “Yeah, we’ll make sure to pick some up for tonight.” The small Pokémon turned back to the door, and braced himself as he opened it and stepped into the remnants of the frigid morning air.
________________
Chapter 2
A busy market square was filled with tents, items rolled out on carpets, wooden stalls and booths, carts full of various foods from the farms outside the city, and a couple hundred Pokémon going about their business. Dark stone and brick buildings surrounded the square, which offered market-goers various restaurants and luxuries like spas and salons. Near the center of the market, a cluster of landing perches gave flying Pokémon a place to land safely. Scattered throughout the market were Guards, tasked with breaking up fights and holding criminals until a Knight, of which two were present, could show up to handle the dispute. In one corner of the market was a building that was boarded up. A sign nailed into the front read Seized by Order of Knight Captain Dahl. Inside this closed restaurant, in the back room, were a Riolu and a Quilava who were standing near a dusty counter. The Quilava had a nervous demeanor, seemingly worried about the situation he was in. The Riolu had green eyes and gray-tipped ears, which poked through a black and pink striped beanie with a fighting-type emblem on it, and was doing her best to soothe the agitated fire-type. “I promise, nothing is wrong. Knowing my brother, he most likely woke up late,” she said, as she let out a sigh. Just a few moments later, her aura-ears started tingling, and the sensation got stronger with each moment. Having grown up together and being twins, the two Riolu were very in tune with each other's aura. Mollie knew her brother was finally on the way. She eagerly shared this info with her customer, “In fact, he's on the way as we speak! Should be just a few more minutes.” The Quilava seemed relieved, letting out a sigh as he said, “Great! Good, good… So tell me, for sure, this stuff will help my uncle? The healers said he wouldn't recover from his injury…” “Unless he's dead, it'll fix him up,” she said with a warm smile under her snout. “Oran Berry concentrate has the healing power of a thousand Oran Berries. He drinks the bottle, he'll be good as new by dinner.” “Sooo, why is it outlawed? Sounds too good to be true,” the fire-type wondered aloud. “Well, that comment I made about the power of a thousand berries?” Mollie asked rhetorically. She continued her explanation, “It's really not that much of an exaggeration. Could supply a village for a year with the number of berries that get cooked down for a bottle of the stuff. And given the state of the kingdom, there's already barely enough Oran to go around. And the big kicker, no way around it, concentrate made from any berry is pretty addictive.” The Quilava’s eyes opened wide, and he let out a stammer. Before he could fully form a sentence, Mollie cut him off and said, “I know, I know! But look, he can get over the berry withdrawal. He's not getting over that injury. This will save him, and after some struggle, he'll be all better. That's what you want,” she stated plainly. The two Pokémon were caught off guard when Dax announced his presence in the room by clearing his throat. He went on to exclaim, “Sorry I’m late! You would not believe the mornin-” “You woke up late,” Mollie said. “Yeahhh, I woke up late. Heh, sorry,” the male Riolu said, kicking at the ground. Mollie emanated annoyance, knowing Dax would pick up on it, and used her eyes to gesture towards their customer. The Quilava had shifted his focus to Dax by this point, who cleared his throat again and pitched in a cheery voice, “Anyway, sounds like my sister went through the ins and outs of the stuff you’re buying. I’m sure you’re still interested in this little bottle of miracle, so I assume you’re ready to pay?” Dax passed the messenger bag he brought to Mollie, and reached in to pull the bottle of dark blue fluid out of its hidden compartment. He showed it to the fire-type while he kept a tight grip on it. “Ah, yes, about the price,” the buyer said, who readied his nerves to try to negotiate. “Non-negotiable, ten thousand Poké,” responded Mollie, which made the Quilava let out a sigh of defeat. He presented a small pouch, which made Mollie nod over towards Dax. After taking the bag, Dax looked inside to find ten one-thousand Poké coins and nodded back to his sister. The coins were poured onto the counter, and the pouch and bottle were handed to the buyer. The Quilava stuffed the bottle into his pouch, nervously offered his thanks, and made his way towards the back entrance. The two Riolu shared feelings of joy and accomplishment, emanating waves of happiness to each other that expressed more than words could. After savoring the moment, Mollie broke the silence. “Almost messed this up, Dax, but you didn’t. Thank you,” she said, giving her brother a quick hug before continuing. “Alright. Five pieces to pay back Zune, one piece for Emmy, another piece for Zune for the paint I mentioned the other night-” “Oh!” Dax interjected, remembering the Flaaffy’s instruction earlier. “Set another piece aside for Emmy, she told me we needed to buy a few bottles of seed-oil.” “Okay, that leaves a piece of pure profit for each of us!” she said as she set a coin in front of her brother. She felt disappointment emanate from him and stated her confusion. “What? It’s the best payday we’ve had in a while. Even with all the setup, this is good for us. You should be happy.” “I just… I feel like we’re not getting ahead at all,” Dax lamented. “We’re still hiding in someone’s attic, we’ve just barely made enough to pay back our debt to Zune after all this time, and even basics like seed-oil are getting expensive for us.” “Well, we don’t really have a lot of choices, do we? We’re not exactly in the good graces of the King’s law,” she said, the last part spoken in a mocking tone, while she glared at her brother. “Any brilliant plans to launch us into wealth?” “Well- I uh…” he paused, unsure of what to say next. “I heard from Kade last night, he fou-” “Oh, again with the list! Another fantastic scheme of yours! That hasn’t ever worked before. But I’m sure this time will be different, nothing will get screwed up, like always,” she sarcastically scolded as she crossed her arms. She felt sadness and regret emanate from her brother, and worried she may have gone too far. “I know! I mess everything up! I screwed up the life our foster dad wanted to give us, I messed up our jobs when we were done with school, I ruined the team we had going at the Guild and the friendships we had there, and it's my fault we’re stuck in the attic of someone we barely know…” the Riolu cried out while he fought back tears, falling to his knees. Mollie was taken aback, her brother had never broken down like this. Seeing him crushed like this, in addition to the overwhelming sadness emanating from him, gave her a sinking feeling in her stomach. She softly spoke, “Dax, I’m sorry, it’s gonna be ok.” After a few moments of ragged breathing, Dax kept his eyes to the floor while he resumed his strained speech. “I’m sorry we have to live like petty criminals, it's all I know how to do. But I want to get us out of this life, get us enough money to not need to live in the dirt. I want to give us a fighting chance at a good life!” “Dax… if anyone is thick-skulled enough to smash through all our problems, I know it's you.” “Thanks, I think.” Mollie bent down to pull her brother into a tight hug, sighing out and saying, “You’re my brother, and as much as you annoy me, I’ll always love you. It's good that you want to be better than this, hang on to that. We’ll fight our way out of this ditch together, like always. Now, go meet Kade, just promise me you won’t do anything too stupid.” “You know that's a promise I can’t keep. Gonna go see Zune?” Dax wiped the tears from his eyes, and Mollie felt hope begin to emanate from her brother. “Yeah, got a cheap, quick thing I'm planning. You’re gonna love it.”
________________
Chapter 3
A dirt arena had a Quaquaval and a Flygon that were battling, the two evenly matched in typing and skill. Surrounding the arena were rising rows of benches, built out of brick, metal, or hewn stone, which were about half-full of cheering Pokémon. This was a smaller arena and never drew the same crowds that the Grand Stadium did, but the volume of high-energy emotions was still enough to overwhelm Dax at times. His aura-ears vibrated nearly nonstop as he made his way around the arena, scanning the crowds. The Loudred commentating the match let out a remark as the Quaquaval got hit with a breath attack from the Flygon, inciting the crowd to let out loud cheers and boos. With this newest commotion, Dax saw the Pokémon he was looking for: a Dreepy with a blue head. The Riolu made his way to the base of the metal benches where the Dreepy was. Dax looked up, seeing the dual-type floating above the highest tier of seats, and shouted, “Kade!” with no reaction from the other Pokémon. He simply wasn't loud enough to overpower the crowd. The fighting-type drew in a deep breath, focused on the Dreepy, and punched towards him, a blast of focused fighting energy launching out of his fist. The bolt of energy flew straight at Kade and then harmlessly passed right through him. Dax watched Kade spin around and look for the source of the attack, and waved at him to try to get his attention. The Dreepy saw the fighting-type, opened his mouth in a surprised smile, and swam through the air to ground level. “Dax! Good to see ya, bud!” he said, swimming in a spiral around the Riolu’s body, their version of a hug. ”Kade, you know that tickles,” Dax said as he giggled from the weird feeling of Kade’s form. “Let's get out of here, getting tired from all the energy.” “Ok! Let's go to Poli-Sweets, I've been dying to try their new Pinap candy!”
* * *
The two Pokémon moved down a stone-paved road that was lined with tall lamp posts, seed-oil burning lanterns affixed at the top of each post. On either side of the road were houses of various styles and sizes, ranging from traditional brick buildings to simple tents, carefully manicured tree houses, and even structured ponds for aquatic Pokémon to live in. Far in the distance, the city's wall loomed, standing tall over most of the structures in the city. Dax and Kade arrived at Poli-Sweets, a popular shop that offered flavored candy, baked sweets, and even berry tarts. Dax thought back to his conversation with his sister earlier, and said, “Y'know, you go ahead. I'll wait at one of these tables. Not really in the mood for sweets.” Kade raised both his arms in a shrug and floated into the shop. Dax moved between Pokémon until he got to an unoccupied table near an inactive seed-oil lamp, and climbed up onto a stool. With the summer sun high in the sky, there was just enough warmth in the air that the lamps weren't needed. As he sat down, the small fighting-type Pokémon reached under his scarf and pulled out a small piece of paper that Kade had given him, and read what was on it. Gold ribbon, Firevix Estate, guardhouse, south of Grand Stadium, west of Crystal Lake, private security. Dax sighed and stuffed the paper back under his scarf. He knew the info was good, Kade had never let him down, but sneaking into an estate in an affluent part of the city would be one of the hardest raids he's ever tried to pull off. His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed red feathers at the edge of his table. Looking up, Dax saw a Blaziken with a scar over an eye and a black cape, trimmed with gold. “K-k-knight Captain D-dahl?” Dax said as he stared up at the tall bird before him, eyes wide open in terror. The Knight Captain placed a hand on the table and leaned down towards the small blue Pokémon. He had a stoic look on his face as he appraised the Riolu, before he spoke with a drawl, “Dax. I wish I could say it's a pleasure to see you, but truthfully, it's quite the opposite. Have you been behavin’?” “Y-yes, I-” “Really? No petty thievery? No conspirin’ against the citizens of the kingdom? No attempts to sabotage the Guild? No smugglin’ any… outlawed… substances?” “I… I have been doing my best to stay out of jail.” “Well, that's not a straight answer, is it? Now you listen here, I am fervently waiting for the day you slip up. You will make a mistake, and I will be there to gleefully deliver you and your clever sister back to the jailor. Your hatchlin’ crimes aren't relevant anymore, but your adult record has enough strikes on it for me to dish out the King's punishment without mercy.” “I promise, truly, I really don't want that to happen. Sir.” “Shame,” Knight Captain Dahl said, as he looked at a Dreepy that appeared next to Dax. “I'd be careful of the company you keep, Dreepy. Someday, Dax and Mollie are goin’ down. And like any scum of their ilk, they'll bring down everyone around ‘em.” The Knight Captain returned to staring down Dax, and let his gaze linger for a moment before he turned and briskly walked away. Kade looked at his friend and placed a Pinap candy in front of the Riolu. “Maybe now you want some candy? Might make you feel better after that.” “Y-yeah… thanks, Kade,” Dax said, still shaken from the encounter with the Knight Captain. He picked up the small yellow candy and popped it into his mouth. The candy had a chewy gummy shell with a sour taste. Once he bit through the gummy part, he was greeted with sweetened Pinap juice, leading to a mix of sweet, sour, and spicy, which he thoroughly enjoyed. His spirits immediately lifted, and he said, “That did actually make me feel a bit better. Thank you.” “I’ve been looking forward to this candy since they put the flyers up a couple weeks ago, I think. I heard we had a good harvest of Tamato Berries this year, too, so I bet the Charizard Challenge is gonna be awesome! Last year, it was so spicy I could barely taste anything for a week,” Kade said, as he continued to ramble about the various berry treats and challenges the shop offered. As much as Kade tried, he couldn’t get the Riolu to cheer up completely. The dual-type decided to quit beating around the bush, and said, “What’s that guy’s problem with you anyway? You’re not a bad Pokémon, you just do some questionable things sometimes.” “It’s his job to protect the Pokémon of the kingdom,” Dax said without hesitation, “His job to enforce the laws. My sister and I, we take advantage of the Pokémon around us, and sometimes they end up hurt. We’ve spent our fair share of time in jail, dealt with the jailor, that dreadful Decidueye, more times than we should have been able to get away with.” “That's no reason to hate you, though. Lots of Pokémon meet the jailor.” “Yeah, well, the reason for that is my foster father. We got taken in by an Infernape named Charr after we hatched. But, uh, we kept getting into trouble when we grew up, and by we, I mean mostly me. He gave us everything, and I just kept throwing it away, kept disappointing him. Kept hurting him…” “Does Dahl know Charr?” “Well, they’re both Knights. So, yeah, I’d bet so. And that's why the Knight Captain is tired of me, ‘cause of how I hurt Charr, especially after I tried to steal from the Guild. Only time I ever saw him cry.” A silence fell over the two as Dax ate another one of Kade’s Pinap candies. Kade floated near his friend and looked over him with concern. He asked, “Are you sure you want to keep doing this routine where I find a valuable item, you steal it, I find a seller, you sell it? It hasn’t really worked well in the past.” “I know it hasn’t. I know. I just need one good payout. Enough to get us out of the shadows. I just need something to work right, just once.” “What happens if you do, though? You won’t need me anymore…” the Dreepy said with sadness in his voice. “Will we still be friends?” “Kade, I like you as more than just an informant. That's why we’re hanging out at a candy shop. We’ll still be friends, and you won’t have to risk getting in trouble for any of my schemes anymore. Hey! Maybe we can launch our own guild, be detectives or something!” Dax grinned at the idea, while Kade was on the verge of happy tears. The dual-type swam around Dax’s body again, making the small canine giggle. “We’ll stick together, promise!” said Dax as he reached for another Pinap candy. “Now c’mon, I need some real food, and that noodle shop at the North Market is calling my name.”
________________
Chapter 4
A Braviary soared through the air, high above the buildings and roads of the city, but still below the freezing clouds. The sun sat low in the afternoon sky as chilly winds began to build up. The large bird Pokémon was approaching Crystal Lake. Contained entirely within the city, the lake was fed by a river that ran from the mountains to the north and under the city’s roads and terrain. The middle of the lake was liquid and flowed, while the edges were still thawing after the recent freeze. On the back of the Braviary was a Dreepy and a Riolu, both hanging on tightly to the flying Pokémon. “I get a little nervous over water, would you mind flying low over the western coast?” shouted Dax. The Braviary that was giving them a ride nodded over his shoulder and banked towards the edge of the lake. Dax looked back at Kade, who was having the time of his life being dragged through the air as fast as the Braviary was going. After the two had their noodle lunch earlier, they had spent a few hours Pokémon watching and wandering through shops, looking at treasures they couldn’t afford to buy. When they were ready to go home, Kade had found a flying-type willing to take them back near the southern wall. Dax held onto a couple fistfuls of feathers as tightly as he could as he peered over the side of the Braviary. The bird started travelling south along the western edge of Crystal Lake and had begun to pass over a section of Chickadee known as the Diamond District. The kingdom’s wealthiest Pokémon lived here in larger-than-usual estates with well-maintained paths and open areas. Diamond District was also adjacent to the castle and its surrounding Guard barracks, which meant the district always had good security. The small blue canine carefully searched the various plots of land to find his target. A path ran down the lake’s coast, flanked by the occasional seed-oil lantern. Situated near this path was a walled property with a large building surrounded by gardens. The building was made out of dark bricks with wood pillars and baked clay walls. The roof was topped with a series of pointed arches, and the whole manor was surrounded by flying buttresses. Golden accents trimmed the structure, with golden braziers of fire littered throughout the property. The western wall had a gate, and the front of the estate had a well-lit stone statue of a Delphox surrounded by geysers of flame. Dax was certain this was Firevix Estate, and in the northwest corner was a much smaller structure that he figured must be the guardhouse. As he scanned the grounds, he saw two patrolling Pokémon, a Metagross and an Archeops. He knew the Metagross would destroy him in a straight fight, but he thought he might be able to outmaneuver the large Pokémon. He figured the Archeops would be too quick to get around, though, and decided he should do everything he could to avoid any kind of fight with these two. “Hey!” the Braviary shouted, interrupting Dax’s thoughts. “I see air traffic ahead, few Knights, it seems. Would prefer to fly clear, but that means going over the lake.” “That's alright… I’m feeling better anyway!” Dax shouted back as he stole one last glance towards his mark. The flying Pokémon gently banked east towards the middle of the lake and rose in altitude, and the trio gently glided over the waters while the sun kissed the horizon behind them.
Some time passed until the Braviary angled down towards a market, the same market Dax and his sister had made their deal at earlier that day. With a flare of his wings, the large bird dropped his weight onto the large landing perch near the middle of the market and hopped off onto the paved stone ground. He dipped one of his wings down so Dax could dismount while Kade just swam through the air to ground level. The two thanked the flying-type for his help as he marched away. Dax and Kade turned and headed down one of the main roads that led out of the market square, filtering through the small crowds of Pokémon rushing to finish their last-minute shopping. The sun had dipped fully below the horizon, and darkness and chill began to set in. Guards were busy lighting the seed-oil lamps that lined the road. Curfew would be set in about an hour, which would mean Pokémon could only be on lit roads with legitimate business. As they moved, Dax muttered to his friend, “Got a good look at the estate on the way over, good idea with the flyer, by the way.” “Huh?” the floating Dreepy said, pausing in confusion. “Oh, wait, you mean, like, the place from the note? I was too busy enjoying the ride. Reminded me of when Mom was around, she used to launch me so fast and far.” “Well, I’m glad you enjoyed the ride. I think I’m gonna go tomorrow. Might have to be at night, though. Gotta use the shadows for sure.” “Please be careful, Dax. I’d hate to lose you, you’re my only friend, and I’m sure your sister would be sad, too.” The two Pokémon ducked into an alley, a shortcut to Kade’s foster home. Dax liked to make sure Kade got home alright before they split up. The alley was long and ran the whole length until the next paved road. There were a few widened cutouts, places for shops to store merchandise or deliveries as needed. The narrow path between buildings had no lighting of its own and was dark save for a section near the middle, where the warm yellow glow of a seed-oil lantern was present. Dax and Kade approached this lit cutout and saw a Swanna leaning against the far wall, the lantern and an empty wooden bowl nearby. “Oh, hey there, just passing through!” said Kade as he waved his arm politely. “Whaa- huh, who’s passin’ through?” the Swanna said, as he turned his neck and focused on the pair who stood opposite him. His eyes narrowed as they passed over Dax, a low hiss escaping his beak. “You!” “Not smart, Kade,” Dax said in a whisper. He took a step towards the Swanna and spoke at a normal volume, “Sorry, do we know each other?” “You!” said the swan in an accusatory tone, wing waving wildly, and the sting of fermented berries on his breath. “You sold me that trash, that fake, that scam!” “Heh, yeah, the thing about that is: no refunds. So if you don’t mind, we’ll just be on our wa-” the Riolu was interrupted as the wooden bowl was sent flying towards him. A quick duck let the bowl pass over him, and Dax raised his paws in a fighting stance. The Swanna let out a loud hiss as he charged Dax and quickly closed the distance to the fighting-type. A lightning-quick strike of the bird’s beak made Dax duck again. The piercing beak came at the Riolu again and again, the larger Pokémon relentless in his pecking. Dax had to dodge, duck, roll, and jump repeatedly to avoid the flurry of powerful beak strikes the Swanna was trying to hit him with. After an exhausting few minutes, there was a pause in the bird’s pecking. Dax used this as an opportunity to fight back and dashed to try to get closer to the swan to land some hits of his own. The Swanna’s head was too fast on its own for him to hit, and the long neck meant he had to close the distance to get within striking distance of the bird’s body. Each time the blue canine tried to get close enough, though, the swan would peck down and make him step back. The two continued this dance, stepping back and forth, neither able to hit the other, until Dax rolled back from his opponent and shouted, “Obviously neither of us are winning this, how ‘bout we just let things go?” “Gonna give me my Poké back?” “Err, well-” “Then no!” the Swanna ended his sentence by sending a forceful stream of water at the fighting-type. Dax was caught by surprise by the shot of water, which hit him square in the chest. The small canine was sent back with enough force to slam into the wall behind him, and groaned in pain as he slumped to the ground. By the time Dax was able to pick himself back up, the swan was already charging him, beak pointed forward like a spear. As he gathered his focus and did his best to ignore the pain, Dax watched his opponent carefully. He felt anger emanating from the larger Pokémon, but also drunken cockiness and arrogance. The swan was committed to his attack, and the Riolu knew the bird wouldn’t stop his charge in time. Dax waited until the moment before he would be impaled, and jumped while twisting his body towards the wall behind him. He kicked off the wall, which sent him into a backwards vault over the Swanna. As he faced the evening sky, the sound of crunching bricks and a hiss of pain told Dax that his plan had worked. Dax reached his arms out, landing on his paws as his air time came to an end. As he pushed against the ground, his momentum continued to spin his body, letting him land on his feet at the opposite end from his opponent. The Swanna was already trying to free his beak from the brick wall, and Dax knew there wasn’t time to get close enough to attack. He inhaled deeply and focused all his mental energy on his target, feeling energy begin to gather around his fist. The bird freed his beak and turned on the spot to face Dax. A loud hiss escaped his beak as he swung his wings at the Riolu. A pair of disc-shaped blades of air flew towards Dax, who had to drop his focus and roll to the side. He immediately tried refocusing his energy, but another pair of air blades made him dodge again. Dax realized he didn’t have any good options against his opponent. He couldn’t get close without getting stabbed, it took too long to charge his focus blast, and he couldn’t channel aura yet like his sister. Just one of those air blades would be enough to knock him out, and getting pierced by the Swanna’s beak would probably kill him. He rolled to the left to avoid another pair of air blades and caught sight of Kade, who was skulking near the cutout entrance they had come from. The small ghostly dragon was nearly worthless in a fight, but an idea struck the Riolu. He would have to switch places with his opponent for his plan to work. He dove towards the bird as another pair of air blades flew at him, hitting the ground as the wind from the blades rustled his fur as they passed right over him. Another roll to the side and a dive forward closed half the distance to the swan, who let out a hiss and accepted the challenge, rushing forward with his beak once again. Dax rose in time to avoid the incoming peck and continued their previous dance, stepping back and forth, dodging pecks, slowly leading the swan back to the corner he had just left. As he got to the wall opposite Kade, the Riolu waited until a peck was coming and rolled to the side, towards the lantern that was still providing light. Dax grabbed the lantern and threw it at the Swanna. His opponent reacted as expected and grabbed the lantern with a swift peck. As the bird gently put his lantern down, Dax took advantage and rushed to the side, sprinting towards Kade. He ended his dash in a slide, popping up right next to the Dreepy. The Swanna had already begun chasing down Dax once again. Dax reached up and grabbed his Dreepy friend by the tail and started spinning around with him, trying to turn as quickly as possible. He spun once, twice, and a third time before the swan was almost upon them. Dax put all his focus into timing his release and let go when the moment was just right. Kade let out a whooping noise as he rocketed at the Swanna. The bird tried in vain to stop his charge in time as he pecked at the incoming missile. The Dreepy’s pointed head deflected the sharp beak, and, with a loud cracking noise, smashed right into the swan’s head. The bird was knocked over onto his back, and after a feeble attempt at rolling over, he lost consciousness. Kade swam around in circles above the defeated Swanna, a wide smile on his face as he said, “Whoo! That was awesome! Wow, let’s do that more often!” “Yeah, I’m honestly surprised that worked out that well,” said Dax, who scratched his head in amazement. “I would've lost without you, Kade, he had me outmatched. And there's no way I was gonna give up my money. Thanks for being throwable!” Dax walked over to the lantern and picked it up as he examined it. He thought about how his sister had once mentioned getting one of them and decided it would be a good trophy of his victory. The two friends turned back down the alleyway and continued their journey home, leaving the Swanna in the shadows.
* * *
A Boltund walked along a dirt path next to a lake, a patrolling Guard enforcing the city’s curfew. A breeze of frigid air sent ripples across Crystal Lake and rustled the leaves of bushes and trees that surrounded the coastal path. The cloudy night sky cast small pockets of blue moonlight on the ground, and the yellow glow of seed-oil lanterns provided the only illusion of warmth around the lake. A Mago Berry bush sat at the base of a perfectly built black-and-gray brick wall, and hidden inside this bush was a hooded Riolu. Dax waited inside his hiding spot and breathlessly watched the Guard walk past his bush. Once the Boltund had moved far enough down the path, Dax cautiously poked his head out of the bush. He looked towards the top of the wall and listened intently. He could hear the crackling of fire, but no other noise. The Riolu focused on perceiving with his aura-ears. He could faintly pick up the calm boredom of the Boltund who had passed by, but no other nearby emotions. He knew the other side of the wall was clear. Dax stepped out of thebush as quietly as he could, using the wind to cover any minor noise he made. He took a quick peek around, checking one last time to make sure no other patrolling Pokémon were around. Convinced the coast was clear, he backed away from the wall and ran towards it. He jumped high and kicked off the midpoint, and stretched his arms out. His careful jump gave him just enough height to grab onto the ledge of the wall. The Riolu slowly pulled himself up just far enough to peek over the wall. He saw the same gardens and fiery braziers that made up the yard. The building itself was mostly dark, except for the golden trim around the building, which was glowing brightly from the fire around the estate. Warm light was visible through a few shuttered windows. Standing on polished stone that made up the patio was the Archeops that he had spotted earlier. The avian Pokémon was pacing back and forth on the smooth stone, scanning the garden on each turn around. Dax could pick up faint feelings of restlessness emanating from the guard. He couldn't spot the Metagross and figured they must've been on the other side of the estate. The garden had enough bushes, patches of grass, and boulders for the small fighting-type to plan out a careful path to get to the other side of the building, where the guardhouse was. The walls blocked the wind, which left everything silent and still inside the garden. Once the Archeops was facing the other way, Dax pulled himself over the wall and silently dropped onto the stone path beneath him. He hurried to the side and dove behind a rock before the avian turned around. Dax waited with a mental count before he peeked over the rock, saw the dual-type facing the other way, and bolted down the path as he passed through pockets of fiery light. Dax ended up halfway to the opposite wall, and as the Archeops started his turnaround, the Riolu dropped to lie flat on the path. He hoped the grass next to him was tall enough to keep him out of sight, and after another mental count and peek towards the back of the manor, he took off again. Dax continued this routine of dashing and hiding, being careful with his timing to make sure he always had cover when it was time to hide. He made his way along the perimeter one section at a time, slowly getting closer and closer to the guardhouse. He was out of sight of the Archeops as he made his way under a lit brazier, taking advantage of the deep shadow the fire cast and the warmth it provided. From his hiding spot, the blue Pokémon was able to see much of the front of the estate. The large Delphox statue and its surrounding geysers of flame lit up a polished stone path that led from the gate to the front door of the manor. A jewelry-adorned Delphox and a Braixen stood in front of the statue, while a Metagross stood guard nearby, watching over the two foxes. Dax could see a Mienshao in a red robe pulling on the gate’s handle, swinging it open for a pair of Pokémon waiting on the other side. He couldn’t stop himself from letting out a gasp as he saw who was entering the estate. A Blaziken with a black-and-gold cape and another Knight, a Jolteon, entered the estate and walked up to the waiting Delphox. Dax sat frozen in fear and was barely able to hear the ensuing conversation as the Delphox spoke, “Knight Captain Dahl, nice of you to finally arrive.” “Stow the attitude, Mister Firevix, you’re not owed anythin’,” the Blaziken said as he motioned towards the manor. “Now if you don’t min’, we can have this meetin’ about your granddaughter here inside. It’s rather cold out.” As the group of four turned to move towards the manor, the Metagross remained at their post, keeping an eye on the gate. Knight Captain Dahl paused for a moment and looked down towards the Metagross with a slight grin, which made the mechanical arachnid move their body back away from the tall bird. After the two fox Pokémon and the two Knights made their way inside, Dax relaxed slightly. He carefully considered calling it quits and leaving while he could. Being in the same half of the city as the Knight Captain was scary enough, but being walled in with him had Dax in a state of terror. He knew it would be completely foolish to continue this heist, and his gut was telling him to give it up, but he just couldn’t bring himself to turn away. This one victory could be the gateway to the better life that he had been fighting for. He took a deep breath and refocused on his mission. The hidden Riolu scanned his surroundings as he did his best to calm down. The Archeops was still out of sight, the Metagross had returned to their post near the statue and was scanning near the gate, and the Mienshao was leaning against the gate, seemingly half-asleep. He crept out from under the brazier and continued down the stone path that led to the guardhouse, keeping low to stay out of sight. No light was visible through the window that faced him as he approached a wide door that was hinged to swing both ways. Dax slowly pushed the heavy door just enough to crack it and listened intently. No sounds could be heard, and the Riolu couldn’t feel any emotions emanating from inside. The covert canine slowly pushed the door open just a bit more as he slid inside. The door returned to a neutral position as he let go and scanned the room. Two cushion-nests and a bed lined a wall opposite him, while the side next to him had windows overlooking the estate, food supplies, and a seed-oil furnace. At the opposite wall was a normal-sized door and a chest. As Dax started silently stepping towards the chest, a bowl of berries on a table caught his attention. As he looked through the berries in the bowl, he found a Chesto Berry and plucked it out of the bowl. He began moving towards the chest as he bit into the tough fruit. He had spent most of the day running around the various markets with Mollie buying old apples, so the jolt of energy was very welcome. As he got to the chest, he noticed a lock on the latch. He examined it for a few moments before he raised a hand and chopped down to strike the lock. He hit the casing with enough force to release the bolt from the shackle, and the lock popped open with a quiet clunk. Dax quickly removed the lock from the latch and pushed the lid of the truck up. Inside, he saw several small lockboxes, jewels and gems, and various scarves and ribbons. He even saw the gold ribbon he came here for, and much to his elation, a second gold ribbon. His eyes went wide with glee as he started reaching for the ribbons, already imagining all the Poké he would get for these. He was halfway to his prize when there was a loud thump at the wide door behind him. The Riolu froze for just a moment before his instincts took over and he hurled himself into the chest. He could feel and hear the sound of glass crunching under him as he slammed the trunk lid shut. Dax held his breath and strained his ears. He could hear the sound of talons scratching against the stone floor, getting louder and closer. He figured it must be the Archeops coming to investigate. There was a growl of disapproval from outside the chest and a slam on the lid that shook the whole thing. The terrified Riolu was sure that he was done for. Any moment now, the trunk lid would fly open, and he’d be discovered. The Archeops would surely make short work of him or, even worse, drag him to the Knight Captain in the manor. The sound of the latch getting flicked down made Dax squeeze his hands together, the lock still with him. He could faintly hear what sounded like the Archeops muttering in a raspy voice, “How many times I needa tell that stupid Mienshao, lock the trunk! Now where he put the lock?” The scratchy sound of the dinosaur’s steps got quieter, until the Archeops yelled out, “Damn weasel, eat my only Chesto Berry and still asleep at gate! Aagghh!” Dax could hear the steps come close again and the noise of the door nearest him being slammed open. He let out a sigh of relief as he heard the door return to its closed position. The fighting-type couldn’t believe his luck. He quickly grabbed both gold ribbons from underneath him, careful to avoid the broken glass, and stuffed them under his hood. A push against the lid revealed the latch was secure. The small Pokémon maneuvered inside the chest, having just enough space to assume a decent fighting stance. He drew a hand back and pushed forward. He aimed where he figured the latch would be on the outside of the chest, and struck with the palm of his paw landing flat against the side of the trunk with a flash of yellow light. Dax could hear the sound of the latch swinging up and hurried to push the lid up before it swung back down. Scanning the room revealed it was clear. Dax pulled himself out of the trunk and threw the lock so it slid under the bedframe, which he assumed belonged to the Mienshao. After closing the lid of the trunk, he ran to the window to try to see where the Archeops had gone. The small Pokémon had to grab onto the windowsill and pull himself up to see anything. Almost directly in front, past a bit of garden, was the Archeops with the Mienshao in tow. The two seemed to be arguing about something while they marched towards the back of the estate. The weasel yelled something while gesturing towards the guardhouse Dax was still in, and after a pause, the two turned and started moving towards the wide door at the back. Dax felt his heart sink. He’d have no choice but to take the side door out into the front of the estate, where the Metagross was still guarding. He waited until the two approaching Pokémon were past the window’s line of sight and slipped through the side door, making sure it closed before they opened the back door. The spider-like Pokémon was still a ways away, by the statue, and was rotating their body back to face the gate. Dax was in the corner opposite where he initially climbed the wall. The small blue canine heavily considered if it would just be easier to leave here instead of sneaking all the way back around. As he was examining the wall, a loud slam from the front of the manor made the Riolu instinctively throw his body to the ground. He realized he was at the base of another Mago Berry bush and crawled into it. He hoped he was completely concealed as he peered through the leaves of the bush. He watched as Knight Captain Dahl and his accompanying Jolteon marched away from the front door, an angry-looking Delphox and the Braixen in tow. Dax was about as far away as he was when the Knights first arrived, and could barely hear the Pokémon speaking. “I urge you to reconsider your stance!” the elderly Delphox said. Knight Captain Dahl stopped and immediately spun to face the fox, cape twirling behind him. “No!” the Blaziken said, his usual drawl strained through anger as small tufts of flame appeared above his wrist. “Now this is the final word: you can not pay to have us overlook the trouble your granddaughter caused. As for you, young lady, you will be at the castle’s lower courtyard at midday tomorrow. You will be assigned an appropriate punishment like any other Pokémon.” The Delphox looked furious, almost ready to fight the two Knights in front of him. Dax could hear muffled shouting coming from the guardhouse he had just vacated. The raspy screeching of the Archeops clashed against the smooth yelling from the Mienshao. The sound of Knight Captain Dahl speaking captured Dax’s attention once again. The Blaziken had his finger just inches from the Delphox’s chest as he said, “If she ain’t there tomorrow, I’ll be back here, and it’s you that’ll be hauled off to meet the jailor. I certainly do not take kindly to your attempts to-” The Knight Captain was interrupted as the door near Dax burst open with a loud crash. The Archeops and Mienshao tumbled across the ground, locked in a grapple with each other. Shreds of red robe fluttered into the air as the two continued rolling on the ground. The Mienshao separated from his opponent and rolled backwards onto his feet. In the blink of an eye, the weasel swung his whip-like arms several times to strike at the Archeops, a loud cracking noise sounding off each time. He looked ready to flow into another series of strikes when a volley of sparking yellow rings hit him, enveloping his body and causing him to seize up, paralyzed. The Archeops had just gotten back on his feet when he met a similar fate. “Now that is quite enough of that! What in Arceus’ name is goin’ on here tonight?” said Dahl. The Blaziken stared in disbelief for a moment before he motioned to the Jolteon. “Good hits by the way.” The Jolteon quickly moved to the two paralyzed Pokémon, cape flowing behind her, as sparks still danced around her body. She placed herself between the two as she said, “You two sit tight once that wears off. Words only, please.” Dax barely dared to breathe. Not only were there three Pokémon close to his hiding spot, but all the others had their attention focused on this corner of the estate. If he caused so much as a rustling of a leaf, he would be found for sure. And with the emotions around running as hot as they were, he was certain little mercy would be shown to him tonight. His attention was caught by the Archeops, who seemed to be the first to recover from the paralysis. “Th-thief! Thief! He steals, steal my berry!” the dinosaur Pokémon said. He turned his head toward the elderly Delphox still standing near the front door. “He steal from big box! Broken glass and missing ribbons. The gold ones!” “I’ve done no such thing. I have more sense than to steal from my employer, and I certainly don’t care for your precious stash of berries,” the Mienshao said with a smooth, calm voice. He crossed his arms as he looked towards the Jolteon and continued, “He hates me, he’s trying to frame me to get rid of me. He even put the chest lock under my bed as ‘evidence’.” “Enough! Lexi, please handle this dispute,” said the Knight Captain as the Delphox began to walk towards the guardhouse. “Have a nice evening, Mister Firevix. Now, as for you, young lady…” The Blaziken turned to speak to the Braixen still by the front door. Mister Firevix joined the three Pokémon by the guardhouse and demanded that the Jolteon find the missing gold ribbons. Dax felt like he was on the verge of throwing up. He was so close to escape, but the threat of being caught loomed ever closer. “Rest assured, Mister Firevix, I'll be handling this dispute with the utmost solemnity. Now, you two, let's go have a look at this chest, and then you will each take turns sharing your observations and thoughts. Any more fighting and I'll arrest you. In you go,” Lexi said as she motioned towards the door next to Dax. “I would like to observe,” the Delphox said. “Those gold ribbons are valuable family heirlooms. I want to verify they are indeed missing.” “Very well. You may watch and offer statements as needed. But no interfering, you’re on thin ice yourself.” The four Pokémon entered the guardhouse two at a time. Dax was holding his breath at this point and was even starting to feel lightheaded as they passed by him. As the last Pokémon entered the building and the door closed behind them, Dax finally exhaled. As he caught his breath, he looked towards the front of the manor. Knight Captain Dahl and the Braixen were speaking at the front door, and the Metagross had turned to keep an eye on them. It was now or never. He carefully crawled out from the bush and turned to face the corner that the wall and the guardhouse formed. He crouched low and sprang up, jumping towards the wall. He kicked off the wall to propel himself up towards the roof of the guardhouse and grabbed the edge of the roof. He used his momentum to swing his legs up over the ledge and rose to his feet. As soon as he was stable, he dashed forward, silently moving across the roof until he reached the estate wall and quickly vaulted over it. The Riolu dropped to the ground below and landed right in sight of the patrolling Boltund he had spotted before. ________________
Chapter 5
Mollie paced back and forth in her and her brother's attic room, though the cramped and messy area meant it was only a few steps each way. It was dark out, a few hours past curfew. Normally, it would be dark in the room, but there was a soft yellow glow from the seed-oil lantern Dax had brought the night before. Heat flowed into the room from a pipe above Dax's bed, and the boarded window stopped a lot of the heat from escaping. Mollie was on the verge of panic. It was well past when Dax said he'd be back. Her brother was chronically late for things, but never this late. And based on the place he said he was stealing from, she began to assume the worst. She was already planning how she'd have to check with the jails to try to find her brother when she felt a light tingle in her aura-ears. She knew Dax must be getting close. The beanie-wearing Riolu hopped over to the attic trapdoor and carefully pulled it up. The last thing she wanted was to wake Emmy at this hour. She climbed down the ladder and made her way towards the front door, her paws making soft thumps on the stone floor as she walked. She reached up and slid the door lock open and waited. It was just a few moments before the door slowly swung inward on its squeaky hinges. Mollie watched as Dax slowly slid into the room and carefully closed the door behind him, sliding the lock closed again. Once her brother stepped away from the door, she reached forward and pulled the hooded Riolu into a tight hug. She spoke in a hushed tone, “It’s so late, I was so worried for you. Where have- why are you soaking wet?” Mollied pulled away from her brother as she shook freezing water off her paws. The twins moved to sit in front of the seed-oil furnace, Dax sitting so close he actually started to steam. Mollie faced her brother and gasped as he pulled two gold ribbons out from under his hood. She stared at the two ribbons as curiosity emanated from her. Dax whispered, “I actually got them! And it's quite the story…” Mollie listened intently as her brother went through his raid at the Firevix estate. She knew her brother wouldn’t exaggerate anything, but she still found some details hard to believe. Staying hidden from Knight Captain Dahl, successfully framing the Mienshao to cause a distraction, and even landing in front of a Guard. “A Boltund can outrun you. How in the world are you here?” “Well, I think I surprised him. He kinda just stood there while I turned and ran towards the lake. Must’ve been a few hundred feet between us by the time I heard him call out.” “I can see where this is going, but how did you survive the lake? You definitely should’ve frozen to death.” “I figured things would go way worse than they actually did. I wanted escape routes and came up with one no one would expect from a Pokémon like me. See, I met up with that Treecko we know from the Guild, Isaac, the berry alchemist, whatever that means. But he sold me this kit that he said would make me immune to environmental cold. All I had to do was drink distilled Aspear Berry and eat a Rawst Berry right after.” “That sounds like such a scam, did you really-” “Yes! And it worked! It really did. It was like an icy numbness spread through my whole body. But I dove into the lake right before that Boltund caught up and got a good look at me. And when I hit the lake, nothing. No pain, no locking up, no shock. Just like diving into any old pool. I still had to come up for air, but I was able to just swim across the lake.” The two sat in silence as Mollie considered Dax’s story. If all the details were right, it was entirely possible her brother actually pulled it off without anyone being able to link it back to him. She noticed her brother had stopped steaming at this point and looked at the clock that hung above the furnace. Almost an hour had passed since Dax got home. Mollie leaned forward and hugged Dax again. “I’m proud of you, Dax. You may have actually put enough thought into this to pull it off. Good job.” “Th-thanks! Nice to hear you say that, doesn’t happen often.” “Don’t get used to it. Now, bedtime, it's way too late.”
* * *
“Focus!” said Mollie. The two Riolu were in a training gym, in a corner by themselves. Mollie was again trying to coach her brother through channeling aura. “Ignore the distractions, just like in a battle.” “I know, I know! I'm trying, I swear!” said Dax, doubled over in disappointment. It had been months since Mollie figured out how to channel aura, and she could always feel frustration emanate from her brother whenever he couldn't figure it out. She reached out to put a paw under his shoulder and lifted so he would stand straight. “Okay,” she said as she gave her brother's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “From the top. Mirror me. Deep breath and fighting stance. Paws at chest level, same height. Now, deep breath, feel the emotions around you. That's the ebb and flow of aura. Focus on that flow, feel it around you, like invisible strings. Deep breath, and reach out with your heart, pull those strings, guide them around you. Channel them through you, your heart is the focusing lens, and shape those feelings into form.” A glowing blue ball of energy began to form in front of Mollie. She felt the familiar tidal pull of the aura around her, like standing on the beach, the waves of raw emotion pushing and pulling against her. She clapped her paws together, squeezing the blue ball into nothing with a flash of light. The flow of aura started returning to its normal flow around her, but then something unusual happened. Rather than returning to an undisturbed state, Mollie felt the aura gently flow towards Dax. His eyes were tightly closed, and she could see his aura-ears slightly vibrating. The energy around him formed into a gentle swirl, slowly spiraling in towards his core. His face scrunched tighter, and a faint blue glow formed around his paws. Mollie couldn't believe it. Was her brother channeling aura for the first time? Mollie was incredibly excited; the pure emotion flowed out of her to fuel Dax's efforts. A smile formed on her face as a light blue spark of energy formed between Dax's paws. This was it. He would finally do it. Everything was going perfectly, until- “DAX!” a familiar, excited voice called out. The spark of light disappeared, and the strings of emotion around Dax fell into disarray, like water dumped out of a bucket. A blue-headed Dreepy swam through the air towards Dax and twirled around him in a hug. Mollie emanated white-hot fury, enough for Dax to go wide-eyed. “Kade!” she snarled as she resisted the urge to bite him. “How many times have I told you: don't interrupt us while we're training!?” The Dreepy joined Dax in being wide-eyed as the two stared at Mollie in fear. The beanie-wearing Riolu was glowing blue as aura wicked off her body. Her brother was so close to a breakthrough, months of coaching were about to pay off. Dax would be so much more powerful with his channeling unlocked, and the moment was ripped away from him. It took everything she had not to lash out at Kade. “We were this fu-” “It's ok! Mollie, sister, sis, please please please… next time! It'll happen next time.” Dax said, still holding Kade tightly. “I really felt it this time, I'll focus and next time we'll get it for sure!” Mollie turned away from the pair and focused on breathing to calm down. Kade spoke up, “I-I'm sorry, guys, I was just so excited I didn't even think about it.” Mollie felt real sorrow and regret emanate from the Dreepy, which further helped alleviate her anger. The blue light around her had disappeared entirely, and the flow of energy around her returned to normal. Her brother said, “Kade, what are you so excited about?” “Oh, uh, well, I found a buyer for your latest find! They want to meet you today, midday at that berry bar by South Market. The one run by that Croagunk.” “Ugh, I hate that place, the ferments are always so sour. Oh, hey, come back to my place, I wanted to give you one of the ribbons. I thought it’d be a good way to help you out.” Dax and Kade turned to leave while Mollie stood dumbfounded. “Hold on,” she said. “Who are you selling to?” “Oh, this Ursaring from out of town!” said Kade as he did a flip. “From out of town… Dax, don’t you think it's a little convenient for a Pokémon to show up looking to ‘buy’ this item that you got just last night?” “Hmm, maybe that is a bit odd,” said Dax as he turned to Kade. “They didn’t seem suspicious to you at all, bud?” “Oh, no way, Dax! He said he was from Little Pine, that village up by the mountains. Said he ran into some treasure lately and wanted something nice to take back home. Seemed like a cool guy to me.” Mollie crossed her arms as she felt trepidation. “Dax, I really think it's a bad idea. He wants to meet you specifically at midday, when the Firevix family is gonna be out and about? It's a setup, it has to be!” “Mollie, please, don’t you think a family as rich as them wouldn’t really miss a couple things? This is all gonna work out well, I feel it.” “Dax, you’re my brother, so I’m gonna say this nicely: even you aren’t stupid enough to think this isn’t a trap!” “I think it’s a good idea, Mollie,” said Kade as he swam in a circle around Dax. “Not another word, Kade!” said Mollie as she felt her anger rising again. “Mollie, please,” said the male Riolu with sadness in his voice. “Last night, you said you were proud of me, proud that I actually did something on my own. I have to do this, I have to see this through. This is it, that fighting chance I keep dreaming of. I have to.” “Dax, you just have to wait a bit. That's all, just wait for the heat to die down. Think, be smart. Now, don't shirk your training, it's important!” “Hmm, yeah, alright, fine. I'll wait a while, alright? C'mon, Kade, I still wanna give you one of the ribbons.” Dax and Kade turned again to leave, but Mollie felt guilt emanate from her brother. “I can tell when you're lying, Dax!” she said. Dax stopped for a moment before continuing with Kade, and the two left the gym.
* * *
A warm breeze swept through the streets as Chickadee experienced one of its uncommon hot days. Warm winds from the south coupled with a cloud layer that trapped the incoming heat, which meant that, even though the sun was blocked, Pokémon got to experience a real summer’s day. Many Pokémon were wandering around, visiting shops, enjoying parks, and even fighting in arenas as a beanie-wearing Riolu walked through the city to a more industrial area close to the city’s east gate. Mollie strolled past a factory where seeds were pressed into oil by various strong Pokémon while she tried not to think of her brother. What could she even do at this point? He was too stubborn to accept her help. May as well just try to keep planning their next moves. The Riolu walked another couple blocks until she turned into a business called Zune’s Wood. She walked through a waiting area and pulled herself up onto a desk. Sitting behind it on a swiveling stool was an Octillery who was filling out paperwork with five of her tentacles on different pages. Mollie waited until the Octillery stopped writing, shot ink out into an inkpot, and looked up at the Riolu. “Hey, Lil, looking for Zune,” said Mollie as her curious eyes wandered over the papers the Octillery was writing on. They all looked like order forms for lumber. “Yeah, he's in the courtyard,” said Lil with a thick lisp. “He's a little slow in the head today, think he's been hitting the Nanab again.” “Thanks.” Mollie hopped off the desk and walked through a door behind the desk. She stepped into a stone courtyard that the building formed a square around. Throughout the courtyard were piles of wood planks and boards of various sizes, most of which were the dark pine wood that grew around the city. Standing in the middle of the courtyard was a Xatu wearing a hat folded out of paper. He was staring up at the western sky and had no reaction as Mollie approached him. “Zune, it's still morning, the sun is the other way,” said Mollie as the bird stayed silent for a few moments before turning around. “Oh yeah… much better… kwah!” “I’m gonna head down, try to remember I’m here,” she said as she turned and walked to the edge of the courtyard. As she moved along a stack of lumber, she ran her fingers along the side of the boards until she felt an edge in the wood. Pushing the wood to the side caused a hidden panel to swing open, which revealed a compartment with a trapdoor. Mollie paused and considered the door. There were no handles to pull it up. Zune usually used his psychic abilities to lift the door. The fighting-type moved to stand next to the hatch, took a deep breath, and struck the ground next to the trapdoor with her palm. A flash of blue light followed, and the trapdoor popped open. She let out a chuckle and muttered to herself, “Damn, I’m good!” After climbing down a ladder, she landed in the hidden basement that Zune used to set up deals with various shady Pokémon, including Mollie. Around the room were various treasures and odd trinkets. The one that always caught her attention was a golden statue of a Meowth. Zune always assured her it was nothing but a statue, but she swore she could feel life emanate from it on occasion. In the middle of the room was a large table surrounded by stools of various sizes for smaller Pokémon. Past that, by a bed and a pile of folded paper hats, were a dozen small bottles with pinkish residue in them. Mollie recognized the residue as Nanab concentrate, meant to put a Pokémon in an extreme state of calm at the expense of slowing their thinking and reactions. Along with the addiction that all concentrates came with. Mollie moved to the collection of bottles and reached up to grab one. What was left of the viscous fluid still moved when she tilted the bottle. Zune must have drunk this one recently. She turned around and saw Zune standing at the other end of the room, by the ladder, facing east and staring at the wall. She shook the bottle at the Xatu and said, “Really need to lay off the stuff, Zune. Frying your brain, and I still need your connections and business sense.” “Hmmm… I have… complete control… it lets me… divine the futuuuure…kwah.” “Uh-huh. And what, pray tell, have you seen today?” “It is… obscure…” “Of course it is. Can we get to business, please?” The Riolu turned and put the bottle back with the others. She took a moment to look over the pile of paper hats. Each triangular hat had an odd rune drawn on the side. Some ancient language she couldn’t decipher. She turned back to the table and saw the Xatu standing right behind her at the head of the table, facing away from her towards the rest of the table. Zune was always an enigma to her. All the training she did meant she was very in tune with aura and her ability to perceive it, but she never felt anything emanate from the bird in front of her. He always felt more like a void of aura, an imperceivable black hole of energy. She moved to stand on a stool near him. “So… what brings… you to me… today?” the Xatu said, still staring straight forward. “We’re interested in smuggling more berry deals for you. That last one was very lucrative for us. And we pulled it off without a single issue. Dax’s stealth skills with my forceful personality? We can close any deal with these concentrates.” “Indeed… and I… suppose you… have more terms?” “Well, obviously, we’re not rookies anymore. We have the skills and experience, so we get a bigger cut.” “I see… let us… discuss terms…” Zune droned on about various business terms and hypotheticals. It took him almost a full minute to get through a few sentences. It was easy for Mollie to slip into thinking about all the things that could go wrong for her brother. She was worried about the legitimacy of the Ursaring buyer, the timing was way too coincidental. Dax was just too stubborn to see it that way, or at least to care. What if one of the Firevixes did show up? Any rich Pokémon is well-trained, and a well-trained Delphox was sure to have at least a few psychic moves up their sleeve. Would Dax be able to hold out? Surely he’d be overwhelmed. Maybe Kade will be there, and Dax can throw him again. Throwing things works against any Pokémon. But what if he isn’t? Would her brother even see the danger coming in time? Even worse, what if they brought along a Knight? Surely that would mean- “Mollie… kwah! It is… unlike you… to lose your… focus!” “I-I’m sorry, I have a lot on my mind, I heard you say-” She was interrupted by another pulse, a whisper of aura. It came from the gold Meowth statue. She turned her gaze to it, but nothing else emanated from it. She turned to look back at Zune and gasped as his head was turned and he was staring right into her eyes. His normal wide black eyes had narrowed to beady black dots as he spoke in a poetic cadence to Mollie. “It is the day of warmest air and cloud, and now in house of bowls most sour, a meet of flame and focus this hour, will leave resolve ablaze and all but proud.” Mollie was stunned. She had never seen Zune like that. She blinked, and by the time her eyes opened, he was staring blankly forward again, eyes back to normal. Whatever that was, she was filled with determination to save her brother. “I gotta go, I gotta help him!” She hopped off the stool and ran to the ladder. After climbing up a few rungs, she turned to look back down at Zune, but found him standing in front of the Meowth statue, staring idly. “Uh, anything else you know?” “It is… obscure… kwah!” ________________
Chapter 6
As he wandered down the street, Dax felt on edge. He knew his sister was probably right, she always was. But this was too good an opportunity to pass up. Who knew when Kade would find another buyer? He just had to hope this Ursaring he was meeting really was from out of town. Aside from that, these districts near the south gate had quite a few refugees from outside the city. Extra Guards and Knights were always stationed around here to help with the increased population. Dax was always worried he'd run into a Knight who recognized him. It was midday, and the streets and shops were rather busy. Dax stuck to alleys and smaller paths, and in a few instances, rooftops, to get to the berry bar. Taking a short alley led him to a small courtyard, surrounded by houses meant for small and medium-sized Pokémon and a small arcade that created a covered walkway. One of the houses had been converted into a berry bar, serving what Dax thought were incredibly sour ferments. There was no name or signage for the place, and the Riolu wasn’t entirely sure it was actually a legal bar. A Clefable with ear muffs over their long ears was sleeping in a hammock suspended between a couple of the pillars of the arcade. Dax turned and walked towards the bar’s doorway, which was only covered with a curtain. He pushed past the curtain and entered the dimly lit interior. A handful of tables with stools of various sizes took up most of the space. There were two other Pokémon, a Purugly who seemed to be curled up and snoozing on a table, and a Croagunk who stood behind a pair of long tables, which acted as the bar. “What’ll ya have, friend?” croaked the Croagunk. “Just some privacy,” said Dax as he tossed a fifty-Poké piece to the frog-like Pokémon. He picked a table near the entryway and sat on a tall stool so he was even with the table. As he got comfortable, the Purugly shuffled a bit, and Dax felt a slight change in his emotions. A small wave of excitement emanated from the otherwise relaxed cat. Another few moments went by, and the rotund feline stood with a stretch as he hopped to the floor and walked out with a slight nod to the Croagunk. Dax felt unsettled as the Purugly left. Something odd emanated from the cat as it stepped through the curtain to leave. There was that light bit of excitement again, but with another emotion. The cat was suddenly eager about something. He didn’t have long to ponder before another Pokémon entered the bar. A Delphox wearing a red sash, the same red as the Mienshao from last night. Every fiber of his being was telling Dax to run. It was a mistake to come here, and as much as he wanted to get out, the Riolu couldn’t stop himself from staring at the approaching Delphox, mouth agape. He felt nothing but calm emanating from the newcomer as the fiery fox spoke with a deep and almost uninterested tone, “Surely you are not that surprised to see me. Or are you? If I had known you and that Dreepy were this gullible, I would have set this meeting up myself rather than pay decoys. Now, I am still interested in procuring the item you were to sell to an Ursaring.” The Delphox held his hand out for the ribbon, and Dax handed it over. He looked over the ribbon for a few moments before he folded the fabric and showed it to Dax. Barely visible was an insignia. A twin spiral of flame around a stick. “The Firevix family crest. Tell me, little Riolu, wherever did you get this item?” “From my supplier. He gets the items, I just sell the stuff.” “Oh? Is that so? That is not what that little Dreepy mentioned. And why would you be so worried to see me if that were the case?” The Delphox’s eyes narrowed, and Dax felt an ever-so-slight break in his calm emotions. “He gets confused easily. I’d be happy to help sort out any problem here. In fact, have the ribbon, just take it!” “I have something else in mind.” Dax could barely blink before the Delphox had pulled his stick-wand out from his fur-sleeve. By the time he started to move, flame was already projecting from the tip. The next thing Dax remembered was opening his eyes to see the clouds. He was lying on the ground in a pile of charred bricks. There was a sizable hole in the wall he had just been blasted through, and the curtain was engulfed in flame. The Delphox stepped through the hole in the wall, his stick still alight in flame. It took all of Dax’s strength to ignore the pain as he rolled backwards to spring to his feet. “Still standing? Impressive, for a pathetic Pokémon like you.” “Please, I-I’m sorry-” “Oh, we are well past that.” The fox brought his stick-wand to his mouth and blew small embers of fire out towards Dax. The small fighting-type was able to dodge the bolts of flame easily enough. Ducks, dives, and rolls kept him clear of any further damage. Dax thought he was doing well until he noticed the Delphox was smiling. The fiery fox was just toying with him. Dax could feel the same calm energy emanating from the fox. He wasn’t worked up at all. The Riolu started trying to focus on the flow of aura around him. Not easy when he was also doing his best to dodge incoming attacks. He could occasionally feel the tug of energy he had felt earlier at the gym, but it was always interrupted when he had to drop his stance to avoid his opponent’s flames. Dax’s frustrations grew. All those times he had shirked his training were finally coming to bite him. Just like the Swanna fight, he was in over his head. No one to back him up this time, though. He abandoned his attempts to channel aura and decided to charge his opponent. He closed half the distance before the Delphox scowled and moved his stick-wand so the tip was in line with the fox’s eyes. A beam of blue psychic energy shot from his eyes and passed through the flame at the tip of the stick, which intensified the beam. The beam traveled so fast that Dax couldn’t even react in time before it struck him. His brain felt like it was on fire. Like a thousand headaches at once, the psychic energy clawed through his mind and left him motionless in an instant. The world started to spin, and it seemed that every sound was coming from multiple places at once. He saw the Delphox several times as his vision swirled. Dax punched outwards, desperately hoping to connect, but in his confusion, he felt himself tripping and falling to the ground. He tried standing, but before he could find his footing, his spinning vision was filled with fiery light, and the Riolu was overwhelmed with searing pain. The next time Dax opened his eyes, he again saw the clouds above him. He couldn’t move, and he smelt burning fur. From what he could see, much of his blue fur had been singed black, and only charred remains of his hooded scarf remained. The Croagunk was peeking out from behind his blasted wall, and even the snoozing Clefable had been awoken and was hiding behind one of the pillars by his hammock. Dax let out a whine as the Delphox moved to stand over him. “Oh, good, you are still alive. I had a few more words to share, just to make sure you die as miserably as possible. You thought you were so sneaky, prowling around the grounds of my family estate. I will admit, the distraction you built between our servants was clever. Yet, none of it mattered. I was watching you from a second-floor balcony the entire time. Never thought once about that, did you?” Dax was overwhelmed by feelings of failure. How could he be so careless as not to scan the upper floor? He would cry if he could. He was so close to victory, so close to getting on the path to the good life. And now he had lost everything, even his life. His aura-ears buzzed in pain as he could barely call out in little more than a whisper, “Mollie…” “No one is here to save you, you filth. No one cares, and no one will miss you. I am doing this city a favor by ridding it of you.” The Delphox took a few steps back and aimed his stick at Dax. He cracked a smile as he started moving the stick in a circle, fire building at the tip. A flash of blue light illuminated the courtyard. The Delphox stumbled forward, and the flames he had built up dissipated. The fox spun around as Dax strained to angle his head down. Standing at the other end of the courtyard, by the berry bar, was his sister. Her hands were aglow in blue energy, and even in his weak state, Dax could feel intense, focused anger emanate from her. “Another one? I have no more time for games,” the Delphox said as he pointed his stick at Mollie. He started circling his wand again, building intense flame as Mollie stood and held her stance. The fox waved his stick at her, and a pillar of spiraling flame launched at her. The Riolu made no attempt to dodge as the flames engulfed her, her opponent now circling his stick again as he reached out with psychic energy to trap the flames and focus them in a whirlpool of increasingly hot fire. The ambient heat was almost too much for Dax to bear, made worse by the fear of seeing his sister engulfed in fire. He was on the verge of fainting again, but the Delphox released the inferno before he passed out. As the last of the fire and smoke began to clear, a blue glow became visible. Still standing was Mollie, body wreathed in blue energy as she panted heavily. Around her was a projected barrier of solidified aura. The barrier faded as she took a few careful steps towards the stunned Delphox. He growled as he lined the tip of his wand with his mouth and projected a beam of bright yellow energy. As the beam flew towards her like a laser, she angled her paws up and projected another aura barrier. The beam struck her barrier and pushed her back several feet as it reflected upwards and traveled towards the clouds, where it exploded in the sky like a firework. Dax was amazed. A hyper beam was lethal to almost any Pokémon of their size, and his sister deflected it like it was nothing. Well, maybe not nothing. Mollie was breathing heavily as her shoulders slumped while she caught her breath. The Delphox had to recover after his attack, and Mollie spent the time picking up a burnt, heavy brick from the ground. The fox resumed his stance and started firing weak embers at her, seemingly tired from his exertion. Mollie deftly dodged the first few incoming bolts of fire, spinning to avoid them. She dodged volley after volley, keeping the brick tight to her chest. Her opponent’s aim got messier, bolts of fire spewing in a random spread around her. The fox stopped his fire attacks, and his eyes began to glow as they had against Dax earlier. As the Delphox lined up for a psychic attack against her, Mollie threw the brick at him. It struck him in the belly, which interrupted his attack and doubled him over. While her opponent recovered from the impact, Mollie picked up another brick and did a quick spin to build momentum. She threw the brick with all her strength combined with the spin. The brick flew so fast it was little more than a blur as it streaked towards the fox Pokémon, who had no time to react to it. The missile struck the Delphox in the face with such force that it exploded and sent a cone of dust and debris behind the fox, who was flipped backwards off his feet, landing on his front. Mollie stood doubled over for a few moments, breathing heavily and assessing her opponent. Dax could see an occasional twitch, meaning the fiery fox was still alive. His sister took a deep breath and returned to calm, the aura around her dissipating. She walked over to stand over him and said, “You are so stupid! Your stubbornness gets you killed, and then what? I’m stuck with the mess… Are you okay?” Dax could feel sadness emanate from her after that last question. “I think I’ll live….” “You better, or I’ll learn how to commune with your dead aura just to lay into you. Now eat this Oran Berry.” Mollie moved over to the Delphox after dropping the berry on him. She rifled through his fur-sleeves and pulled out a pouch of Poké. Dax bit into his berry and felt a relieving numbness start spreading through him. He continued taking small bites as his sister tossed the pouch of coins to the Croagunk and said, “For all the damage, and for lying to cover for us. And pour some berry brew down his throat. Thanks.” The Clefable bounced out from behind the pillar now that the fight was done. “Hey, you two, I hear running coming this way. And the fluttering of a cape, must be a Knight. Should get out of here!” Dax felt a light kick from his sister as she said, “Get up, I’m not carrying you this time.” “Ugh… where’re we going? Can’t walk all the way home…” “Yeah, yeah, we’re going to V’s, you’re buying me a drink.” Dax felt completely numb, physically and emotionally, as he followed his sister out of the courtyard.
* * *
Dax and Mollie sat at a wooden bar in a large restaurant. The place was full of Pokémon eating and drinking, and the atmosphere was very positively charged. The restaurant was owned and run by a family of eeveelutions, and most of the layout and ergonomics were optimized for their quadrupedal shape. A Vaporeon and a Glaceon were busy making ice, in both big chunks and in a small, crushed consistency. The two also worked to prepare most of the drinks that got ordered. A Flareon worked on managing heat in the kitchen and served as the chef, preparing hot dishes. A Sylveon carrying drinks in their feelers approached the two. “Alright, hot Chesto brew for Dax, and Oran slush for the both of you! Should have your hot sandwiches ready in just a few moments!” “Thanks, V!” said Mollie as the twins toasted with their slushes. The warm weather meant they actually had the opportunity to fully enjoy a cool, refreshing drink, and the Oran in the slush helped Dax further recover from his earlier wounds. Dax wondered why his sister seemed so calm about earlier. “Why aren’t you worried? That Delphox is still alive, he can easily rat us out!” “Because his credibility and rep are trashed. Knight shows up, he’s drunk on ferment, beat up, a mess of burnt brick and stone around him. And we left the ribbon. It’ll look like he came to some dim den to pawn off the precious heirloom. Long as Kade keeps his ribbon hidden, that Jolteon’ll consider this a slam dunk.” Dax had to admit, it made sense. Especially with how chaotic things were that night when he was at the Firevix estate. A drink from the hot Chesto brew filled him with energy, and the warmth of it was soothing and relaxing. “So, anything useful from Zune earlier? Are we in?” “Uh, y’know, we didn’t have time for much today. But, thanks to all the shopping you helped me with, we’re good to go on our next plan.” “You said it was gonna be quick and simple, right?” Mollie pulled Dax in for a side hug as she said, “Oh yeah, you’re gonna love it!”
This story follows a pair of troubled Riolu twins as they search for a better life, even as they excel at the criminal lives they lead. There is art that accompanies the story so please check it out at this link
Content warning for violence, peril, and fantasy drugs.
This is a custom PMD-based setting, written by me, with a lot of inspiration and logic taken from PMD and the mainline games to a much lesser extent. There's probably a decent bit of Pokémon rule-breaking I did, but oh well.
My first story upload! I have another story I've started starring these two, and bigger projects for down the road. If you took the time to read this, thank you!
