…

The world around him shuddered. The surrounding rock cracked and shifted as if it were putty, unable to hold a consistent shape. He struggled to keep balance on his unfamiliar limbs, while the earth seemed intent on throwing him about.

Walking on all fours felt unnatural and threw off his balance. He longed to stand upright on two legs, but it seemed impossible. Those unwieldy talons and oversized paws hindered his movements. Even if he was in a flat, empty room, he would still be having trouble moving.

His talons and paws—they were all sorts of wrong.

It didn't matter. There was no time to get used to this body.

The cave shifted and bucked, and stone split beneath him. He was lifted and slammed into the wall. His helmet hit the rock with a horrendous clang, rattling him. Was the world spinning on its own, or was it his disorientation? It was impossible to tell through the thin slits of his helmet.

A blurry flash of red, gold, and grey streaked by, but when he turned, all he saw was a blank cave wall. Hazy blue and black zipped across his line of sight, followed by red and white shortly after. He whipped his head to face them, only to see a cave wall. A powerful rattle shook the cave and split that wall from floor to roof, pelting his helmet and hide with falling rubble.

He just had to keep going—keep moving away from that horrific place with those things floating in the tanks. He wasn't going to end up like them. Those floating chunks of meat and metal were a mystery. He was the one that survived and he was determined to keep it that way.

He managed to bring his limbs under himself and pushed again, unfamiliar muscles straining from the effort. Inch after inch, he made his way forward, making slow and steady progress.

He had to duck as a large chunk of stone crashed in front of him, blocking off half the tunnel. A glimmer of light shone from around the edges of the boulder—he was almost out, despite the roadblock.

It would be okay.

Suddenly, it wasn't.

The world shifted to a grim, sickly shade of purple. Walls and floor fell away around him, leaving him standing on a small platform floating in the middle of absolutely nothing. He dropped to the ground and gripped the surface with all his might, somehow holding on when it started to flip.

Skyscrapers drifted by, trailing glass, those razor-like shards whizzing along, missing him by a hair's-breadth. Vehicles tumbled across the open expanse of space, smashing into one another with horrific screeches of metal. Explosions rolled out from the impacts, lighting up the sky with fireballs.

A smaller rock struck his floating platform, sending the boulder he clutched into a tight spin. Talons and claws sank into stone, holding on for dear life as the world twisted and warped and spun around him.

In the far distance stood massive ruins, pillars and arches standing tall. It was crumbling to pieces, yet it held together—unstable but firm at the same time. Three figures stood at the peak, two of them facing the other. It was impossible to tell what was happening from so far away, and he could only make out the occasional streaks of red or blue that shot out into the surrounding emptiness.

Then, a brilliant explosion of white erupted in the distance. The universe shuddered, a powerful ripple emanating outward from the three in the distance. All at once, things started falling back into place.

The rock he clutched shuddered, then slammed against another. The motion sent him rocketing off in an uncontrolled tumble. He hit the solid wall hard, pain lancing through his side, and he plummeted downward.

Before he could even hit the ground properly, more stone crashed into existence, creating thunderous noises that shattered the surroundings. The rock rippled and formed itself into a solid once more. All at once, the purple faded, and so did the light within the cave.

He was left alone again, reeling.

The world shuddered around him again.

The cave collapsed.

A sharp, searing pain stabbed him in the back, and a heavy weight crashed down on his helmet, driving his head to the ground. The impact sent him to the cave floor with a thunderous crash, pinning him beneath the rubble. He strained and struggled, clenching his jaw tight, fighting through the pain, trying to force his way out.

The cave rattled again, and more rock poured on top of him, adding to the intense weight on his back. The slight bit of progress he made shifting the rocks vanished under the added rubble. Everything grew darker—dust clouded the air and pebbles skittered between the boulders that pinned him.

He was trapped, mind spinning from the pain and impacts, rattled from the hits. His vision blurred, and everything was a shapeless blob. Still, despite it all, a single beam of light managed to filter through the rocks in front of him.

The surface was just on the other side! If he could somehow get himself free, he could push his way out!

He bunched his muscles and strained against the stone, causing more dust to fall upon him. His whole body shook with the effort, and the sound of stone screeching against stone echoed painfully in the cramped space.

Talons quivered, then slipped, and he collapsed to the cave floor again. All that weight slammed into his back and drove the air from his lungs, leaving him wheezing.

He was going to die here, just after waking up. There were no answers, no explanations, and nobody to help him.

But the exit was right there!

Talons shoved into the ground beneath him again and pushed, his whole body trembling from the effort. Slowly, he rose, higher and higher. The weight upon his back grew heavier, but he continued. The pain was nothing compared to being trapped and withering away, hoping for someone to save him.

This was his only chance, and he refused to die alone in the dark, buried under rock. He just had to keep going.

Just a little more.

Just a little bit further.

He needed to get out.

Silvally's eyes snapped open and he took a sharp breath, lurching to all fours. His back leg buckled under the sudden motion. His ribs ached from the rapid breaths, but he barely noticed. He staggered to the side and looked around the room, heart thundering in his chest.

Silver eyes fell upon a bright white coat of fur, flecks of gold littering the otherwise uniform colour. The subsequent rush of adrenaline snapped Silvally from the memories of being crushed. Instead, his fur tingled in recollection of burning and freezing and fighting and running and-

Silvally took a breath. He held it, then relaxed.

Another breath. He shut his eyes and inhaled as deeply as he dared, his ribs twinging with pain.

The room felt too cramped and warm. Silvally opened his eyes and turned toward the window, doing his best to stay quiet as he walked toward it. He was thankful there was at least some grass in the room to soften his movements—he didn't want to deal with the other occupant right now.

He pressed a talon against the circular window and swung it open. Immediately, cool morning air washed over him and gave a nice jolt to his system. Silvally took a deep, greedy breath of that fresh air, the smells of the ocean and the sounds of nature pulling him from his panic.

He was fine. He wasn't going to die alone in the dark and crushed beneath rocks. Instead, he was stuck in a town that seemed to hate him for living, with a Ninetales that had hunted him for months.

And he couldn't do a thing about it.

He huffed.

"You're not planning on running, are you?" Artemis asked.

Silvally tensed, muscles bunched and talons curled into the stone floor. He shut his eyes and bit back the instinctive urge to whirl and face the threat, or sprint as far as he could.

Another breath. He exhaled and tried to relax. Artemis was behind him, watching him; that knowledge sent a chill up his spine, which he did his best to ignore.

Finally, Silvally pulled away from the window and backed up, hopping with the movement to keep pressure off his leg. He steeled his nerves and looked toward Artemis.

The fox was lying on her bed, her paws crossed, and her head resting on them. Her red eyes watched him critically, before flicking to the window, then back to him.

"I don't think you'll fit," she yawned and narrowed her eyes. "…Is the sun even out yet? You couldn't let me sleep just a few more hours?"

Silvally's ears twitched back but he remained silent. He just watched Artemis, his eyes never leaving her.

She huffed and pushed herself upright, leaning forward to stretch out and wake up her limbs. All nine tails flared out and shuddered, before relaxing to their natural position. Artemis looked at Silvally for a moment longer, then rolled her eyes.

"Doesn't matter. Early start to the day, I guess. C'mon, get your bag, let's get going." Artemis snagged her own Treasure Bag with a deft move of a tail, securing it against her side. "Leave the helmet here, you're taking up valuable room for no reason."

Silvally froze and looked at the bag. His helmet sat inside of it, alongside a couple of Oran Berries, and a few rocks. There was ample space for everything, and he didn't mind the added weight; it hardly bothered him anymore.

"I can't," Silvally replied.

"What, you can't take it out of the bag? You can't leave it here? There's no reason to drag around a big hunk of metal when you can use that for-"

"I need it."

The two stared at one another, red eyes on silver, flicking back and forth. Silvally refused to budge on this. He wasn't going to leave his helmet here and risk it being stolen, especially not with the way the guild apprentices and other members of the town reacted to him. They could take it to target him, damage it, or do any number of things.

No, he needed it with him at all times.

"…Fine. Whatever," Artemis huffed, "let's just go."

Artemis pushed open the doors to the room and stepped into the hallway, not even pausing in her strides for Silvally. He grabbed his bag and hefted it over his shoulder, quickly following after the fox.

She clearly wasn't a morning person.

~{O}~{O}~{O}~

Aurum looked up as the bell over his head jingled, announcing his presence to the library. Several heads looked over at the Riolu, and he met their gaze with a smile, before they returned to their books, recognizing him.

The smell of old books assaulted his senses, and the confined, comfy atmosphere of the building settled into his fur. The Riolu wandered his way up to the front desk and set a massive book down with a thud, the sound echoing through the open area. He backed up and dusted his hands off, proud of his work.

"Aurum, are you finished with that already?" The head of an Absol poked over the edge of the desk and looked down. "You just took that book out! It hasn't even been three days, and- Oh! You got your scarf back!"

"Yeah, Officer Sandshrew told us someone found it last night! She came to the door after you left and let Dad know." The Riolu held his hands in front of himself and looked up at the Absol shyly. "Did you like supper? I helped Dad make it. We made extra sure that it would be good for you."

"Of course I did. I think it was one of the best I've had," the Absol said. "I think you did a wonderful job, Aurum." She grabbed the book from the countertop and set it in a wagon behind the desk.

His tail wagged faster behind him, the gold streak on its tail glimmering in the light, and his ears folded back in embarrassment. He couldn't keep the smile from his face or the light blush from his cheeks.

"Ack, thank you, Miss Emerald," Aurum mumbled. "You should come by for dinner more often. Dad seems really happy when you stay over."

Emerald stumbled at that and crashed into the side of the library counter, sending paper and writing utensils to the floor. The Absol staggered away from the wooden surface and coughed a few times, tripping over the stool, trying to hide the bright blush on her cheeks.

"O-oh! Well then-" she fumbled for words. Emerald ducked her head down, and hooked her chipped horn into the custom harness for the wagon, struggling with the straps, her paws a little shaky.

"A-ah, well, that's enough about me! Tell me more about your scarf." Emerald tried to change the direction of the conversation. She stepped out from behind the counter, pulling the wagon along behind her. "Who managed to find it?"

Aurum fell into step beside her a moment later, the Riolu completely oblivious to the flaming red cheeks of the librarian. Instead, he looked down and fiddled with his scarf, bouncing along with every step.

"Miss Artemis found it with Mister Silvally," Aurum explained. "I gave them my allowance, 'cause Dad wanted me to learn how requests work." He brought his hands together and grumbled a little. "And so that I won't lose my scarf again…"

"Oh, Artemis did? Well, look at you, getting a famous explorer to find your things. That must make you famous too!" Emerald reached over with a paw mid-step and poked at the Riolu's side, causing him to giggle.

"Nuh-uh, she was just being nice," Aurum explained. "Besides, I don't wanna be an explorer like her or Mister Silvally. I like history."

"Really? I had no idea. Maybe the thirteen books you read this month weren't enough to convince me," Emerald teased.

"You want me to read more!?"

Several chuckles sounded out from around the library, the young Riolu's voice carrying through the building. Emerald poked her tongue out, and closed one of her green eyes, winking at the younger Pokémon.

"It's not nice to tease, Miss Emerald," Aurum pouted. He giggled immediately after—he wasn't upset at all.

The two turned a corner and wandered down an aisle, leaving the open spaces for the quieter shelves of the library.

"So, you mentioned this Silvally a few times. Who's that?" Emerald asked while ducking out of the harness. She grabbed the book from the wagon with her teeth and stood on her hind legs. With practiced ease, she slid the book onto the shelf and then hopped back down. A quick duck and twist of her head had the wagon secured once again.

"Oh, he's new in town. He's been helping Miss Artemis. Or, at least, I think so—she didn't seem very happy," Aurum explained. The two began walking through the library again, weaving between Pokémon and shelving. "Everyone says he's scary and shouldn't be helping. He is kinda scary. But I did that aura thingy Dad said to do with new people, and looked at his aura." Aurum held his paws in front of himself and demonstrated, his paws and eyes glowing blue for a moment.

"Oh? You've made progress, I'm proud of you," Emerald praised.

"Thank you," Aurum preened. "But yeah, I looked and Mister Silvally seemed nice. He was a little scared, but he felt friendly. He's also really tall. Like, taller than Dad." The Riolu hummed and followed behind the Absol. "I think he needs a hug."

Emerald knew exactly who Aurum was talking about. She kept her thoughts to herself, however. It was obvious that Aurum didn't know that Silvally was known as a "Bad Pokémon" by some around town. She was going to let him find out on his own though, she didn't want to influence his feelings on the matter. Besides, Emerald wasn't in the clear either, considering her own past and record.

Still, she was going to reserve judgment for the new Pokémon until she met him. Her horn had been bothering her a little more than normal recently, and Emerald hoped that this newcomer wasn't the cause. Still, Aurum seemed to think that this Silvally was a nice Pokémon, and she knew Lucario pretty well.

He wouldn't have allowed his son close to anyone that posed even a slight threat. Not after what happened to Aurum's mother.

"Well, I hope you're right. I think you are though, you're a smart kiddo," Emerald said.

She stopped walking and turned, using a paw to ruffle up the Riolu's head, despite laughing protest. The Absol reared up on her hind legs again and reached for another few books on the shelf, pulling them down one by one and placing them in the wagon.

"Oh! Oh, I forgot, but could I-"

"Ancient Civilizations: People of the Forgotten Cities? Right here." Emerald nudged a book toward him on the wagon, which he eagerly picked up. "You were talking about it during dinner last night. I figured you'd be coming for it soon."

"Yeeesssss, thank you Em- I mean, Miss Emerald." Aurum held the book to his chest and wagged happily. "I promise I'll bring it back soon!"

"I know you will. I also know you'll be done with that for the twentieth time in less than a week," Emerald laughed. "You know, if you want, you can keep-"

"Oh! Right! Dad asked me to go get chalk for him after I got the book! Oh, and we get ice cream when I get back!" Aurum exclaimed, earning several 'shhh' sounds from around the library. "Oops, sorry!" he whisper-yelled.

"Well, then you'd better get going, Aurum. Don't want to keep your dad waiting, do you?" Emerald pushed.

"No, he needs it for school tomorrow. Thank you, Miss Emerald!" Aurum did his best to wave to her while stuffing the large book into his satchel. "Come over for dinner again!"

Without a single glance back, the Riolu took off, his pace more akin to a jog than a walk. He moved as quickly as he reasonably could while keeping his movements quiet to avoid disturbing others.

Another jingle of the bell atop the door signified his departure. Once the familiar rocky surface of Treasure Town's pathways was beneath his paws, he bolted. His scarf trailed in the breeze, his run causing it to flap along behind him.

Several Pokémon said "hello" or waved to Aurum as he ran by. He did his best to be polite and respond in kind, even while he ran through the familiar street. Little paws carried him along stone sidewalks and gravel paths, over the wooden bridge straight to his second destination.

Kangaskhan Depot. His dad stored the extra classroom supplies here for safekeeping. The last time he tried to store extra utensils in the school, a student broke in and ate them. The young Sableye protested that he hadn't eaten the chalk… while actively eating the chalk.

His Dad started storing the chalk and other utensils in town. And also brought extra snacks for students—just in case one of them felt peckish and started gnawing on the desks.

Aurum came to a halt in front of the storage depot and made his way up to the front. He stopped a respectful distance behind Farmer Leafeon and Miss Kangaskhan, who seemed to be in the middle of a conversation.

"-this, dear, you already do so much. And Sitrus is so expensive! Can I at least pay you for-"

"Nope, I refuse. If you want to repay me, take some time off. Or maybe recommend people try my tea—most of 'em don't even know I have it." Leafeon interrupted. His ears flicked backward, and he turned his head slightly. "Now, no more arguing, you have another visitor." Leafeon shuffled to the side and faced Aurum.

"Oh, you…" Kangaskhan grumbled with a smile. "Hello dear, who is this?" She squinted toward the young Riolu.

"Good afternoon, Aurum," Lefeaon greeted. "Are you having a good day off school?"

"Oh, good afternoon, dear." The elderly Kangaskhan raised a hand and waved. "Goodness, is it already that late in the week? I'm behind a few days."

"Good afternoon, Mister Leafeon. Good afternoon, Miss Kangaskhan," Aurum said. "I'm having a really good day off. I got a new book from the library, and I'm helping Dad before we go get ice cream!" He smiled wide, beaming toward both the older Pokémon.

"Oh yes, one moment dear, I had some chalk prepared for you," Kangaskhan said. She hobbled off the little raised platform and disappeared into the back.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Wait- but I didn't even say what I needed." Aurum blinked and tilted his head, his ears flopping to one side.

"You always stop by every two weeks to get chalk for your dad," Leafeon laughed. "He tends to go through it pretty quick. Does he eat it?"

"What? No!" Aurum laughed. "He sometimes throws the little pieces at my book when I'm not paying attention in class though…" The Riolu scuffed his paws on the ground, and his tail twitched behind him sheepishly. "He's got really good aim."

"Here it is." Kangaskhan stepped onto the platform again and passed Aurum down the chalk package. "I swear, your father has enough chalk here to fill a whole storage container," Kangaskhan laughed.

Aurum blinked and tried to come up with something to respond with. What should he reply with? He didn't know anything about chalk, or how much his dad needed, or anything like that.

"Oh hey, you got your scarf back. When'd that happen?" Leafeon asked. He noticed the momentary pause and the confused looks from the young Riolu and tried to save him. "I thought you lost that in a dungeon a couple weeks back."

"Oh! Yeah, Miss Artemis and Mister Silvally found it for me. I paid them some allowance like Dad said for the reward. He said it was so I would learn to be more careful, and understand how the requests work," Aurum explained.

"Oh, Silvally found that with Artemis? They must be working together better than I reckoned they would." Leafeon hummed for a moment. "Or… she dragged him along against his will. I could see her doing that too." He let out a short laugh.

"Nope! They were both cooperating. Or, well, that's what Dad said their aura told him. Mister Silvally was a little scared and confused though. Dad wouldn't tell me why," Aurum explained. "He's a little scary but he seems nice! He's really quiet though."

"Oh dear," Kangaskhan murmured from her spot. "I can't believe that… Why did I-" She cut herself off, and clenched a hand.

"Are you okay Miss Kangaskhan?" Aurum asked. The Riolu perked up his ears, and his eyes glowed blue for a moment.

"Ah ah," Leafeon interrupted. A vine shot forward and curled around Aurum's shoulders, spinning him around in a quick circle, interrupting the aura usage. "Don't you need to get your dad that chalk?"

"Oh! Right! Okay. Sorry, Miss Kangaskhan, sorry, Mister Leafeon, I have to go. Have a good afternoon!" Aurum waved goodbye to the pair and set off again. He glanced over his shoulder to see Leafeon saying something to Kangaskhan, but he couldn't hear what it was.

Instead, Aurum set his focus on the stairs leading down to the lower path. He jogged forward, weaving around Pokémon with all the grace of a Serperior on fermented Pecha Berries. That is to say, he tripped and stumbled while trying to avoid careening into various legs.

Miraculously, Aurum made it down the stairs without incident, and took a sharp left, making his way back home. He only stopped to talk with his friends a few times on the way, reminding them of their planned time together later that afternoon.

His Dad was buying ice cream, there was no way any of them were going to miss it! It was a weekly ritual; no one skipped out. Aurum made sure to remind Shinx to bring along the ball like always, so they could play after.

Aurum's paws eventually carried him home. He closed the door behind himself, balancing the box of chalk in one paw, while the other messed with the door lock. With everything properly secured as his Dad taught him, Aurum made his way toward his father's home office.

"Dad! I got the chalk you wanted," Aurum announced. He stepped into the organized chaos of the office and smiled at his dad.

"Thank you, Aurum," Lucario replied. He looked up from over the pile of papers on his desk and smiled at his son. "Give me about an hour or two to get this done, and I'll take you and your friends out for ice cream, okay?"

"Alright, Dad!" Aurum smiled and set the chalk down in a pile near the door. "I'm gonna go play with my friends, okay?"

"Sounds good. Stay close so I can let you know when I'm done."

"Okay! See you in a bit, Dad! Love you!"

"Love you too, Aurum."

~{O}~{O}~{O}~

Artemis growled under her breath as she walked, leading Silvally up the path and away from the police station. The reward they received was paltry and just added to the list of frustrations throughout the day. Two Sitrus Berries? She wouldn't use them before they went bad—luckily she knew someone who needed them.

But this mediocre reward was just the tail-end of an absurdly irritating day. The inconveniences went on and on as if someone—she glanced at Silvally—was intentionally trying to make things difficult.

Being woken up three hours early was annoying, sure. It was especially frustrating after a string of sleepless nights. A coffee and tea shipment delay left her caffeine-deprived so she couldn't compensate for the early morning. And, of course, the Outlaw- of course, Silvally refused to leave that oversized chunk of metal at the guild and lugged it around with him, taking up valuable space. It was perfectly safe in their room.

Just the morning itself was enough to sour the rest of her day. But no, that couldn't be the end of it. She swore Arceus was laughing at her today.

The mission selection had been questionable at best. Silvally just pointed at the board without even reading the contents, and got them a rescue mission in Amp Plains! She hated that place. It made her fur stick up and gave Pokémon headaches if they stayed for too long.

The rescue mission was another headache—they were supposed to rescue an inexperienced team that hadn't returned on time. The team hadn't returned because the idiots didn't prepare at all. No Cherri Berries, no Escape Orbs, nothing! And then, when they finally found them, they'd been scared off by the Outl- by Silvally, and ran in different directions!

If Artemis had been teamed up with anyone else, then they could have split up and found them all so much faster. It probably wouldn't have taken more than ten minutes. But no, she had to be teamed up with a former criminal and couldn't trust him to not run away at the first chance he got.

They had to go after each of them one by one, and it took almost four hours because they wouldn't stop running, backtracking, or trying to find each other. One of the idiots even went deeper, headed into Far Amp Plains, and risked the wrath of the Luxray and Manectric tribes!

Silvally was another annoyance to her day. She knew he was better than his performance today. He refused to attack any wild Pokémon unless they were clearly attacking their group which caused unnecessary risks. Artemis had been grazed by several attacks as a result.

The worst part, though? He had stepped around a Mud Trap without warning her! Mud soaked into her fur, made worse by the static in the air, and dried unnaturally fast. She'd been keeping watch around them for the team they were supposed to find, so completely missed the little shift Silvally made to avoid it.

Now she was covered in dried mud and being forced into town. She couldn't make the rescued team wait while she had a bath in the guild, and there was no way she was going to show Silvally where she lived just so she could clean up. Artemis knew full well that once she finished soaking in the guild bath hall she'd be crawling into bed.

She might as well finish up the daily tasks before going back.

Artemis sent a glance over her shoulder toward the former criminal, and gave a frosty huff, steam wisping upward from her breath. Silvally didn't even look at her, much to her ire. He just continued staring straight ahead, ignoring the semi-muddy, floofed-up Ninetales. A low growl slipped from between her jaws, and she rolled her eyes, turning her attention forward.

Artemis couldn't help the annoyance that simmered just beneath the surface, causing her abilities to respond. Her paws left little frosty outlines with every step, creating a very visible trail along the path.

The two took a sharp left upon reaching the crossroads and turned into town. It didn't even take a minute before they were set upon with looks. More and more Pokémon realized that every time Artemis came around, Silvally was close behind. Those normally adoring and enthusiastic looks turned conflicted and unsure.

That just soured her mood further, and her tails flicked angrily.

She wasn't a criminal—they didn't have to look at her like that! She was just being forced to work with a former criminal, who had been running free for two years. Everyone knew his face and had started to learn his name.

"Oh, hey, it's Artemis," someone said with a happy lilt in their voice. Zangoose was a familiar sight, and she was always so sweet. They occasionally talked about fur care routines.

Her mood lifted at that; it was nice to be recognized. Well, maybe not in her current state—she looked and felt rough. She bit back her embarrassment when she glanced down at the horrific state of her fur.

"Oh, it's them," someone else grumped.

Her head lifted to look to see who said it, but there were at least five Pokémon to the left that could have spoken. None of them looked at the duo for long enough, already walking past the two in the other direction.

Did she do something wrong? Artemis was pretty certain she hadn't upset anyone in particular with any recent actions. Sure, she could be a little hot-headed sometimes and rushed into some situations, but she was careful with how she acted around civilians. She had to protect them and keep them safe.

They were far too fragile.

"I can't believe she hasn't put that thing down yet," another whispered. "What a poor excuse for an explorer."

A sharp snarl left her at that. Silvally jumped at the sound and fell behind her a few steps. She glanced back to look at him and then turned her eyes back to the direction of the person who had spoken.

No one met her eyes. Cowards.

It's not like she had a choice! She didn't want to be stuck with the Outlaw for- with Silvally for three months and babysit him! Arceus, she had even advocated to lock him up and protested against his light sentence. Why didn't they understand she was just doing her job?

She didn't want to do this, but she had to. That, and she promised Mew she'd give him a chance, and, unfortunately, he hadn't slipped up or done anything that warranted her bringing him in. He just got on her nerves an absurd amount today. That wasn't a crime, just extremely infuriating.

"Hey, what is your problem?" Zangoose snapped. "She obviously worked hard today, and he helped her. Give him a chance, he deserves it."

Well, Artemis wasn't certain he deserved a chance, but he was given one. She appreciated Zangoose standing up for her though—Artemis would have to get her some nice shampoo as thanks.

The defence wasn't exactly necessary, it's not like the criticism bothered her… did it? She just needed to do her best, like usual, and good things would follow. This brief span of negativity would turn around, she was sure of it.

Wait, did she want it to? They disliked the Outlaw, right? Not her. She was just being frowned upon by proximity to a criminal she had to help integrate into society.

Stupid Outlaw.

Artemis huffed and flicked her tails. A deep breath filled her lungs, then she exhaled, steam escaping her maw.

She had to keep her cool, it wouldn't do to snap at the civilians. Her whole goal was to help them and keep them safe. They couldn't understand everything that happened, and that was okay. They didn't need to. At the end of the day, they were safe because of her actions, and that's what mattered the most.

A shake of her head brought her back to reality. She wasn't sure why she was dwelling on this so much. It didn't matter anyway. It was only temporary, and she'd spent years helping the people of this continent. Other continents too! She only came back after her parents-

"Miss Artemis! Mister Silvally!" a young voice cried out.

Both Artemis and Silvally jumped from the shout. They'd been listening for the whispers and muttering from before, not someone just blatantly yelling at them.

Artemis realized that she and Silvally were now in front of the plaza of Kecleon Market, their walk through Treasure Town carrying them farther than she realized. A glance to the left revealed the culprit.

It was the Riolu from yesterday, the one with the little gold stripe of fur in his tail. His red scarf was now securely tied around his neck and flowed along behind him as he raced toward the two. Lucario was there too, watching his son with a relaxed expression. The children near Lucario were much less relaxed.

"Wait, Aurum, stop!" a Shinx yelled.

"Aurum, no! That's the scary Pokémon!" an Abra cried.

"Mr. Lucario, do something!" a Cubone turned toward the larger Pokémon and pulled on his leg.

"Children, it's fine," Lucario said. "He's perfectly safe."

Artemis watched the small Pokémon approach and moved a tail to prevent the child from having a straight shot at the former criminal.

The Riolu slid to a stop on the gravel in front of the pair and looked up at the two, his tail swishing back and forth. Artemis caught Silvally moving out of the corner of her eye, watching the large Pokémon take several steps back from the excitable child.

"Hi, Miss Artemis. Hi, Mister Silvally. Thank you again for finding my scarf!" Aurum smiled up at the pair. He then whipped around to face his friends who appeared to be torn between crying, running, or darting forward to grab their friend. "See? I told you these two got my scarf back. They're both really nice. Mister Silvally isn't actually that scary."

Artemis bit back a surprised snort at that. Children—no filter whatsoever. Silvally didn't so much as twitch, and merely watched the small Riolu, his ears tilted forward.

"Aurum, watch your manners." Lucario shook his head. "Come on now, leave the two alone. It looks like they've had a long day."

"Aw, but Dad! I was going to ask if they wanted to play ball," Aurum pouted.

Various shouts of disapproval or denial from Aurum's friends sounded out. The Abra even grabbed the ball sitting on the grass in a pinkish psychic glow, and hefted it up. With a pop of displaced air, the ball vanished.

And fell from the sky, right onto Lucario's head.

"…Abby," Lucario sighed.

"Oops! S-sorry Mr. Lucario!" Abby, the Abra, brought her hands up to cover her face and floated lower to the ground in embarrassment.

The whole group, Artemis and Silvally included, watched the ball bounce across the ground. It snaked along the gravel path and rolled straight toward the stairs.

It bounced off the top step.

And bounced again, further down.

And again.

…and again.

All the way to the bottom of the staircase, just whizzing by a Machamp walking down the path toward the beach, who leapt back in fright.

"Uh… I-I'll go get it." Abby teleported away.

"Sorry, kiddo," Artemis interrupted. "I need to go see Leafeon before it's too late. We can't stay and play ball."

"Oh…" Aurum blinked and looked at the two. "If you need to see Leafeon, can Mister Silvally stay and play ball?"

Artemis had to take a moment to process that. The kid wanted to play ball with the Outl- with Silvally, after meeting him yesterday? Silvally wasn't expecting that either, by the way he pulled back, and his eyes widened. One of his talons raked at the gravel, in what Artemis assumed to be nervousness.

"Er, sorry, um, Aurum?" Artemis was still thrown off and struggled to find a proper answer. "I need to watch him to- it's my job to watch him, I can't go too far away without him."

"I can watch everyone if you would like," Lucario offered. He stepped closer toward Artemis and lowered his voice. A paw moved to his side and grabbed a small object that was clipped to his belt. "I might no longer be active, but I was a fairly skilled rescue team leader at one point."

Artemis glanced down at the offered object, and her eyes widened. It was a Rescue Badge from the Air Continent. And it wasn't just any badge—it was the Lucario Rank badge. Something reserved for high-ranked explorers, and named in honour of one of the greatest Rescue Leaders of all time.

"Wait, are you-"

"No, definitely not." Lucario interrupted Artemis with a laugh. "That was my father."

Artemis looked at the badge, and then back to the Lucario, her thoughts in a whirl. She would love to get away from the Outlaw for just a few minutes and not have to be reminded of him constantly.

But it was her job to watch him.

However, that Lucario Rescue Rank wasn't just given out lightly. Her Exploration Rank—Master —did outclass his own in the Expedition Society by a fair amount, but it was nothing to just brush off.

Artemis looked to her right, into the Kecleon Market, and set her eyes on Farmer Leafeon. He was in eyesight after all, despite the busy market. It was maybe a three-second full-out sprint if she pushed herself.

Artemis bit her lip, and her tails twitched, indecision running through her mind. Finally…

"Hey, do you want to stay here for a minute while I go talk to Leafeon in the market?" Artemis asked. She turned to Silvally and looked at him intently. "You'll be in my sight at all times, so don't think I'm just letting you do whatever you want."

Red eyes focused on silver, her gaze set on him. She watched as he looked at the group of semi-nervous kids, and a relaxed Lucario. Then, his gaze shifted to the busy market and remained on the many Pokémon for a time, flicking to every Pokémon in the plaza. Finally, his gaze slid to her, and he twitched a little.

Silvally slowly dipped his head in a nod.

Artemis frowned, conflicted, but relented.

"Okay. Alright. Fine. Stay here, and don't leave my line of sight." Artemis narrowed her eyes and took a few steps back. "I'm serious. If you do anything-"

"He'll be fine, Artemis," Lucario interrupted. "Go on."

Artemis bit back a retort at being told what to do and huffed. Slowly, she turned herself around, facing away from the group. She took several slow steps forward, her fur on end, feeling as if she were doing something incredibly wrong.

A glance over her shoulder showed her that everyone had already turned away from her. The children were focused on the Abra holding the ball, while Lucario stood a short distance from Silvally, and seemed to be talking to him.

Nothing had immediately gone wrong when she looked away.

Artemis took a breath and turned her attention forward once more. She weaved her way through the Pokémon in the market with skill and precision, not a hair on her body brushing against anyone else.

Was she making the right choice? Lucario could likely handle Silvally for long enough if things went horribly wrong. But this would look bad on her if anything did go wrong. Though, Silvally had been nothing but reserved, if a bit jumpy.

He was also seconds away. Artemis could easily claim she was leading him somewhere and he slipped away. If things went wrong. They shouldn't… she hoped.

How does someone who's been on the run in the wilderness for two years even behave in cities? Would he start stealing things easily hidden when people weren't looking? Maybe he-

Artemis bumped into Leafeon's stand and blinked in surprise. She'd been too lost in thought to stop in time, and jostled some of the fruits, causing a few to roll. With a brief flair of psychic energy, she nudged the berries back to their original position.

"Oh, Lady Artemis! I humbly-" Leafeon paused. "Uh… You alright? You look like you took a tumble into a swamp. And brushed your fur the wrong way. And didn't sleep. And-"

"Community service," Artemis explained. Her eye twitched at having to interrupt the list of things that were visibly wrong with her. "Mission in Amp Plains."

"Ah." Leafeon nodded. "Well, I hope it went okay. Did, er, Silvally-"

"Honestly, I don't even want to talk about it." Artemis huffed and turned her attention to the Treasure Bag at her side. The top popped open, and a pink glow radiated out from the bag. Two large yellow berries floated up and out, settling down on Leafeon's stall. "Here, I know you're always looking for more Sitrus Berries. This was our reward for the job today. Don't offer anything for them, I won't use them before they go bad anyway."

"Your reward? Whew, must have been a rough one then." Leafeon wisely listened, took the berries in his paws, and set them in a box behind the stand.

"It wasn't! It was an easy job. I could have had it done in an hour and then come back for another one!" Artemis huffed. "He made it so much harder than it had to be. Arceus, he didn't even look at it, he just pointed at the board and grabbed it!"

"I see," Leafeon hummed.

"No, you don't. The idiots we had to rescue got scared of him and took off running. And we couldn't split up for pretty obvious reasons. Oh. And! He didn't warn me about a mud trap, or go after ferals that were charging us!"

"I thought you didn't want to talk about it…" Leafeon looked on with a frown, his brows furrowed. One of his paws tapped at the stand, listening to Artemis's complaints.

"Oh, and of course he woke me up way too early. And! He outright refused to listen to me when I told him to leave his helmet behind to make the bag lighter and free up space. I have no idea why he refuses to listen to me, or even talk to me. He-"

"Did you ask him?" Leafeon interrupted.

"What?"

"Did. You. Ask. Him?" Leafeon stared at Artemis. "Did you ask why he did or does any of that? Do you think there might be a reason?"

Artemis blinked and looked at Leafeon with a raised brow. That was a little more forceful than she had been expecting. But… No, she hadn't asked. She didn't need to.

It's not like it took much reasoning to explain why someone shouldn't carry around a big chunk of useless metal for no apparent reason. And it was common sense to warn your team members when you spot a trap. Even the issue with ferals! Everyone knew that you had to take them out before they took you out. They were mindless and solely focused on bringing down anyone in the dungeons.

"Well, no, but it's all common sense. I don't-"

"Oh for- Artemis. Hun. For the love of Arceus, why don't you just take a second and ask?" Leafeon leaned over the stall and stared down at the Ninetales. "Do ya think maybe he's not doing it to be malicious? He's been out there for, what, two years? You think maybe he picked up some things that are just natural now? You say it's all common sense. To you, it is—you've been learning this stuff since you were little."

"Why do you care?" Artemis redirected. She was not enjoying the direction this was going, and she wasn't a fan of how he was talking to her. She wasn't a child. And she knew he had a point, but…

"I keep forgetting you were gone for a good while. You weren't here when Emerald came to town. I…" Leafeon sighed. "Look. Pokémon can be cruel. Can. But you'll find everyone's better than you think if you give 'em a chance."

"You said it was a poor idea to let him do community service," Artemis retorted. She had no idea why Leafeon was pushing so hard for this. This sudden change of mind threw her off entirely.

"I did. I retract my statement. I'm willing to give him a chance."

"Why?"

"Because the last time I didn't give a Pokémon in a similar position a chance, she almost died," Leafeon answered. "That tends to stay with a person. Also…" Leafeon turned his head, looked past Artemis, and gestured with a paw. "Well, see for yourself."

Artemis, confused, did as Leafeon asked. She turned herself around and faced the entrance of the market, looking around the various Pokémon standing around, everyone watching the same scene.

Silvally was seated on the grass, his posture upright and firm. One might say it was regal if it was from any other Pokémon. Aurum was to his left, completely unconcerned with the tall Pokémon near him. Lucario was on Silvally's other side, standing up, and looking at the other children.

Shinx had the ball and stood across from the three, his tail giving an unsure flick. His eyes focused on Lucario, watching the older Pokémon make an encouraging gesture toward himself. Shinx raised a paw, focused on Lucario, and swatted the ball. It rolled across the grass at a lazy pace and came to a stop right in front of the older Pokémon.

Lucario nodded and gingerly kicked the ball across to Abby. The little Abra waited until the ball was in her psychic range, and once it was, a pink glow surrounded it. It twitched back and forth, likely responding to her nervousness. Pink flared brighter around the ball, causing the ball to whip around Abby, and then hurtle toward Cubone.

Artemis could hear the panicked shriek from the little Cubone, who raised his bone club and swung in self-defence. The ball rocketed away and shot straight toward Aurum.

The little Riolu tensed up and looked excited by the high-velocity projectile hurtling toward his face. His body started to glow a light blue, aura radiating off of him. He crouched, and tensed, ready to-

A large, powerful talon shot out, straight toward Aurum.

Artemis froze, and her heart leapt into her throat. She took a cautious step forward, hoping that the worst hadn't happened. There was a visible jolt through the Pokémon that watched, surprise and concern lacing their forms.

Silvally lowered his foreleg, the ball still in his grip. He had lunged to the side and snatched the ball out of the air just inches from Aurum's face. Slowly, he pulled back and returned to his spot on the grass.

There was silence for a moment, and Aurum staggered a little from having to abort the aura usage.

Silvally set the ball on the ground, and nudged it with a closed talon toward Aurum. The Riolu glanced down, then looked over toward Silvally with a big smile, and punted the ball straight at his dad.

Lucario deflected the ball in a controlled angle to fall right at Shinx's paws, starting the cycle over again.

"Artemis, Lucario isn't going to let anyone dangerous anywhere near his kid. Or any of the other ones." Leafeon gave a little sigh. "I didn't trust him with Emerald, and I still regret it. I'm trusting him now. Silvally doesn't seem to be a bad Pokémon. I went to the station and looked at his record after talking with Aurum. There's… a lot. I'm giving him a chance."

Shinx batted the ball forward a little faster and aimed it toward Silvally this time. The small cat looked nervous, but more willing to try.

The ball rolled to a halt directly in front of Silvally. The large Pokémon smiled and looked down, before using a closed talon to gently roll the ball toward Cubone.

"Besides, Aurum there is extremely empathetic. He and Lucario can tell when someone's not having fun or is feeling negative," Leafeon explained.

The duo watched the group at play, glancing toward the various Pokémon that stopped to watch, several smiling at the sight while others shook their heads or said something quietly.

Cubone passed the ball toward Aurum, who laughed and stepped forward, kicking the ball in a high, lazy arc toward Abby. She caught the ball in a pink glow and lobbed it toward Lucario.

"I dunno, maybe I'm getting old," Leafeon said. "But Aurum is all smiles, and Lucario is completely at ease."

Artemis nodded at Leafeon's words, her eyes still fixed on the group at play. She followed the path of the ball as it bounced from Pokémon to Pokémon, passing paws, hands, talons, and psychic grip faster with every round.

It didn't take long for the children to get into the game, running to get the ball and bat it around at odd angles, or jumping into the middle to steal it. Silvally remained seated though, only shifting from his spot to grab the ball if it was just out of reach. He kept his hits light, even when the children were firing the ball around far faster than he did.

Despite his reluctance to really get into the game, or even move beyond what was necessary, he was smiling. It was a small thing, but Artemis noticed it. His ears shifted outward slightly, and his lower jaw was partly open, little fangs sticking out against his firm metallic beak.

Artemis had to admit, he didn't look nearly as scary now. This was the first time she had actually seen him relax while awake. No tension in his body, or clenched muscles. No small movements or kneading of his talons. It looked like Silvally was just enjoying himself.

Right now, at this moment, he didn't look like a former criminal. He didn't look like the Pokémon that had been on wanted posters for two years. This wasn't some terrifying monster that beat down exploration teams with ease over and over again.

This was Silvally.

Artemis bit her lip, thoughts rolling through her mind, trying and failing to compare her sure opinion of the dangerous criminal she beat into submission, with this… normal Pokémon.

That dangerous criminal she had to subdue to keep Pokémon from getting hurt, and finally brought to justice.

This Pokémon gently playing ball with kids, watching his movement to make sure he didn't scare the children.

The unbeatable Outlaw that just. Didn't. Stop. Running.

This normal, relaxed Pokémon enjoying some free time.

Artemis clenched her jaw, and her tails gave an irritated flick. They could keep playing until the kids had to go. Then, she was going straight to the guild with Silvally, cleaning up, and going to bed.

She was going to get to the bottom of everything soon, she was sure of it. Artemis just needed to figure out how.

Maybe Leafeon had a point. She could ask Silvally tomorrow.

There was that thing about the records too…

With the basic structure of a plan starting to form in her mind, Artemis made her way forward. She weaved between the Pokémon that watched, more than a few already moving on when nothing horrific happened to the kids.

Artemis sat down at the edge of the circle, across from Lucario and Silvally, making sure they could see her.

Silvally's eyes flicked to her, and that tension immediately came back to him. Muscles stiff, movements a little harder, and his smile gone without a trace. His ears perked up and remained forward, focused in her direction.

The children in the group didn't notice anything and continued playing. Well, except for Aurum. He looked to Silvally for several long moments, as did Lucario. They both returned to the game shortly after, the pause not long enough to be noticeable to the others.

Artemis noticed though.

And while the children on her side happily made room for her to join, her mind was occupied with other things.

Things like the Pokémon across from her.

She idly batted the ball to everyone in the group. Everyone but Silvally. Artemis was waiting for him to pass the ball to her first.

He never did.

Artemis hummed quietly, her thoughts in a tangled mess. She had some things she needed to figure out.