Chapter 20 - Same Old Story

An endless road, but I know that you're strong and bold

Somewhere out there waiting for me with a smile that shines like gold

There you will

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Nick took some time to himself. In particular, about private matters that meant he couldn't bring his friends over. Not that he was willingly isolating himself from his friends, no. This was about his family, and about a trip to a place only he should be going to. Despite knowing this, Nick still found his breath to be heavy when confronted by…

"Hey mom, hey dad."

Before him stood two graves made of solid stone, mirroring the countless others in the town's graveyard. Nick looked towards the sky, where ominous clouds cast shadows over the scene. He even felt a few drops of rain falling down on him.

"...Hah. Of course it rains when I'm here," the Riolu muttered under his breath, his words faint. "...Whatever."

Numerous thoughts swirled within him, onesNick found hard to express . He rubbed one of his arms, right where his band was located, a heavy sigh escaping his throat. Saying the right words had always been a struggle, especially when it came to them—his parents.

Harvey and Mia. Those were the names inscribed on the tombstones. Nick looked at them again, mustering the courage to speak. However, when he opened his mouth, all that came out was a faint whisper.

"...I miss you two."

What was a good place to start talking with them? Nick looked up again, hearing thunder and more raindrops. Oh, of course! He could start with the old fashioned icebreaker. "...Y'know, mom, dad, it's been really hot in here for days. Seems that's finally over."

Of course, there was no response. Nick wasn't talking to himself, though. He knew his parents were there, watching over him in spirit.

"Things have been… I think they've been alright," he said with another sigh. He had just started talking, yet his heart had gotten heavier than ever. "I finally made it! I created a team! Now, you won't believe this, but it's all thanks to—"

Before he could continue, Nick looked around to check something. Like he thought, he was the only one around in the graveyard.

"...Anyway, it's thanks to a human. I found one! He was drowning, and I saved him."

It was nice to have friends. Nick's thoughts wandered to them again, before he focused on someone else.

"Oh! Audrey and I are fine, too. She kinda gave me a hard time, all 'cause I was tryin' too hard to learn Force Palm." Remembering that little incident made him flinch, fur fuzzing up while his tail perked. "...Urgh. I still don't know how to use it, but I'll get the hang of it eventually!"

Those words were as much of a reassurance to him as they were to his parents. Nick put on a smile, realizing he could keep talking about her.

"Oh, Audrey's the best! She made me these goggles, which… I don't go out into deserts, but they look nice on me! I just had to ask her once, and she built them! Maybe I should ask her to teach me this kinda stuff."

What else could he say? "Oh, oh! She stood by my side when I was in the hospital. I realize now that I was bein' stupid with the training. I'll do better now."

By this point the storm had started, with rain pouring down over the town. Nick's fur was becoming soaked from the rain, but he stayed there. He still wanted to tell them a few more things.

"We formed a team. Me, my human friend, and two royals. Well, one's a royal and the other's his bodyguard." Nick shrugged. "But you get the point, don't you?"

Nothing. Nick chuckled. "Fine, fine. I guess it's not that impressive, not when you two are great heroes. I'm just… trying to live up to that. I want to be a hero too. Just… just like you."

He took a deep breath, feeling every bit of rain that was falling on him. It wasn't annoying or anything. "We also met this strange Pokémon. His name's Zero, and he's… I dunno, honestly. I don't think he's a bad guy or anything, but I wanna learn more."

Nick crossed his arms, trying to show off how serious he sounded. "There's more to him. We saw these Crack thingies. I'm not sure how they work, other than they seem to appear near leylines. I think something's brewing, and I wanna know about it."

Surprisingly, Nick was relaxed after saying all that. He took a deep breath, feeling the smell of rain. "Hah. That was nice, wasn't it? Gramps left for work a while ago. I'm a little worried, but I think he's alright."

Thunder echoed in the distance, loud enough to deafen footsteps. Nick didn't even realize someone was around until lightning struck and he was able to see a shadow reflected in the grave. He glanced to see a familiar-looking Pangoro.

"Gramps! You're back!"

"I am." Rowan looked down, both at Nick and at the tombstones. "I didn't find you in the house, so I figured this was the next best place. It's that day of the year, isn't it?"

Nick frowned, his ears drooping. "...It is. I was just done talking to them."

"I see." Rowan sighed. "I need a few minutes myself. Then, we'll go home."

"Ah, I guess… I guess that's okay." Nick rubbed an arm, turning around to walk off.

After he passed by Rowan, the Pangoro cleared his throat, getting Nick's attention.

"Once we get back… I have something to tell you, it's about your parents. And their colleague."

Nick's heart sank from hearing it, but he didn't say anything. It wasn't the time for that.

Once they got back home, Nick immediately shook the water off his fur. Secondly, he took a peek in the living room.

"Shiron…?"

"He left." Rowan closed the door behind him. "I think he's in that Quilladin's house, that baker friend of yours. What's his name…"

"He's in Magnus' house? Wow, I didn't think they were at that base already…" Nick muttered, managing a faint chuckle.

"...Don't gossip about your friend." Rowan rolled his eyes, before passing by Nick. "Come on, I'll make you dinner. What would you like?"

Just then, Nick's stomach grumbled. "I… I think I might like your mac and cheese. Simple, but good."

The Pangoro sighed, guiding his grandson into the kitchen. Rowan began rummaging through drawers, gathering materials, while Nick settled down into a chair.

"It's something important, right? Serious, too." Nick's voice trembled slightly, while his ears drooped in anticipation. Conversations like this with his grandpa usually meant he'd messed up somehow.

But, this time, it seemed different, considering it involved his parents. So Nick was more curious than nervous about it.

"Yes, something so important and serious that we're discussing it over a bowl of mac and cheese, of all things," Rowan replied with a hint of a grumble, like he was being sarcastic.

Or at least, Nick thought. Sometimes it was hard to read him. No, most of the time. Nick really didn't get what his grandpa meant during so many of their conversations…

Rowan set about preparing the food, separating a pot and filling it with water, letting it boil over. His movements were a tad methodical, while his exterior seemed to be focused on the task at hand. On the inside, however, he was mulling it over how to approach Nick about this chat.

"C'mon, the suspense is killing me!" Nick suddenly blurted out, knowing it was loud enough for Rowan to hear.

"...Sorry, kid." Rowan sighed, watching the water before he sat down. "I suppose we can talk about it while the water boils."

"What's this about? I mean, my parents…" Nick looked at the table. He wasn't stupid or anything; there were some theories in his mind about what it could mean.

Maybe they were alive, just in hiding. Maybe Nick was adopted, or… or something else. He didn't really have any more ideas.

"I was away because I wanted to check on their colleague, because…" Rowan sighed. "Nick, I'm going to be very blunt with you, alright? You do remember their teammate Fawkes, right?"

Nick had an idea now, one that he didn't really like. "Sneasler Fawkes… I remember a little about him. That mom gave him a second chance, despite him being involved with awful Pokémon before."

"That's him. Mia was… always a kind soul. We both know that. Which is why—"

No, no, the idea in Nick's mind was growing stronger. "...You said it was an accident, that Fawkes barely escaped with his life."

"And he did," Rowan closed his eyes, arms crossed. "I think you understand what it is now, right?"

Nick bit a lip so hard it was drawing blood. "He killed them?! Their own teammate!"

Though the Pangoro didn't reply, his somber expression confirmed what Nick said. And Nick stopped, looking down. All his life, he thought they were part of a freak accident, but—

"I know what you're wondering…" Rowan opened his eyes again, glancing to the side to check the water. "You were young. I didn't know if you could handle it."

Nick let that sink in for a moment. There was a part of him that wanted to complain about this, because he did get a life-altering secret thrown at him. But… Rowan wasn't stupid. All things considered, Nick should've suspected it earlier. He just… didn't."

"...I'm not dumb. I know that you had your reasons. I'm just upset I didn't figure it out earlier." Nick closed a fist. But despite getting an answer, he still had another question. "Then, where is he?"

"Arrested, far away from you." Rowan said… only for him to look somber again. "At least, he was. I got a tip that he broke free, so I traveled to the prison to check it, and—"

"He's escaped?!" Nick practically jumped out of the chair, looking at his grandpa with widened eyes. "What do you mean he's out?! That—that monster! We gotta fix this!"

"I'm afraid he might be coming back for revenge, Nicholas," Rowan said, and as always, Nick thought the tone was… very harsh. "Which is why we'll be extra careful, alright? I know that you want revenge, but—"

"He killed my parents! How could I not want revenge?!" Nick snarled, claws popping out of his fingers. However, they retracted. "...But fine, I get it. We can't rush into things. Do you know where he is now?"

"I'm not sure, but I've heard rumors he was making his way here. A lot of letters describing his journey. Last I heard, he was in Bright Dawn. Not so far away…" Rowan stood up, moving to the stove. "Relax, if he's here, I'll handle him myself."

Nick didn't exactly find that to be comforting, no matter how much Rowan painted it as such. But… it was better than nothing. Plus, eating would make him feel better… probably.

He could handle these kinds of news. Nick was mature enough for that. At least, he thought he was. I can't… I can't really show him how I'm really affected by this. Gotta… I gotta try to keep calm. As long as Gramps is around.

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Despite it being the middle of the night, Audrey still had to take care of the shop. Considering most of her clients were tourists, it was rare for someone to show up at this time. But still, her family insisted she should be there. Because of course they did! As annoying as it was, at least she was getting paid for it.

Which was why she found it strange when the bell on top of the door rang, and even more when she jumped off the counter to greet the client. A Sneasler, soaked up due to the rain, rubbing his nose with a finger before sneezing.

"Uh, welcome!" Audrey did her best to greet him, raising her head to meet his. "It's a little late, whatcha doin' here? I mean, apart from… not getting wet."

"S-Sorry, It's a storm outside, I didn't want to stay there for much longer…" he forced a smile, rubbing his arm. "I don't suppose you could give me shelter until it stops?"

"Well, this ain't a charity, but…" Audrey puffed up her chest. "Sure! It's the right thing to do, and all that jazz."

"Thank you, miss…"

"Audrey," she replied, jumping on the counter again. "This store has many accessories for explorers, rescuers, detectives and all the like. Feel free to look, since you're already here."

She had just noticed the bag on Sneasler's back, a smirk creeping up on her face. "I mean, I'm assuming you're one of that bunch."

"Maybe, maybe not…" he smiled in return. "I'd just like some water, if that's okay."

"Some water…? Well, I guess you're officially my most boring customer." Audrey rolled her eyes, looking at the back door. "I'll grab some, stay here."

The Sneasler crossed his eyes, seeing her leave, before grinning and taking a look at his claws. All of them were dripping with poison, and with just a single, precise strike… he could knock her out.

How lucky was I that someone managed to bail me out? Heheheh.

This was easy. Fawkes cracked his knuckles, checking out his surroundings. He'd need to hide before attacking her.

Need the element of surprise… and measure the amount of poison…

Fawkes cracked his neck next, looking up. Right, the ceiling! He could hang there for enough time to strike her. His grin grew wider, and he quickly jumped, using his claws to fixate himself in there.

Can't risk her casting any funny illusions on me either.

The next step was, well, wait for her. It took a while, but the door eventually opened, and out of it came Audrey, biting into the cup while she walked to the middle of the room.

As expected, the Zorua was confused. "What the…? Where is he? Did he leave in the middle of a storm?!"

Audrey ran towards the exit, dropping the cup in the process. She got on her hind legs, lifting herself to peek through the window. There was just a lot of rain.

"Did… did he leave—"

Something fell on the top of her head. Something that smelled nasty and that rolled down towards her nose. It was vile and toxic, she found out. Audrey groaned, looking up.

But there was nothing around. Unbeknownst to her, Fawkes had already dropped, kneeling behind her and raising one of his claws, coating it with poison. As much as he could reasonably inject without endangering her life.

"Wait—"

Unfortunately, Audrey was too late. Fawkes sunk his claws into her back, and she screamed the second it hit her, opening her mouth to gasp. With such an intense dosage, she felt her body go numb and limp, forcing her to fall.

"Yo." Fawkes stood up again, stretching his arms. "Don't worry about it, it's just making you drowsy. Nothing personal, kid, but I gotta deal with that boyfriend of yours."

"W-Who are you?!" Audrey screamed, but even that was taking a good effort.

"Hm, Fawkes. Don't worry, I'm not gonna kill ya," he shrugged. "...Not unless your boyfriend pisses me off. But anyway, I gotta deal with the others, so be a good girl and follow me…"

He picked her up, holding Audrey in an arm. She cried out, trying to move. Despite this, her body failed him, the poison inside already doing its job. Fawkes just ignored her—it wasn't like she could escape his grip.

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Nick had finished his bowl, staring at what remained of the cheese. He could still hear a lot of thunder outside, making one of his ears perk up. In reality he was trying to figure out if there were any strange noises, like, say, a Sneasler he wanted to deal with.

"You're worried about him." Rowan said. He knew he was stating the obvious, but with Nick, it was usually what worked.

"...Yeah, of course I am. Do you think he knows a lot about us? I mean, me and my friends."

"You're not exactly a popular figure, but knowing him, he probably did some research on you already." Rowan raised a brow. "...We should check on them."

Nick barely let Rowan finish talking before he stood up. "Oh, I thought you'd never say that! Rain or not, I don't wanna risk anything!"

"You're smarter than your dad." Rowan had a small chuckle forming over his mouth. "Did I ever tell you the list I gave him when Mia introduced me to him?"

"Gramps, you scare me sometimes." Nick blinked. Well, that wasn't exactly the kind of information he wanted to know. Whatever. "So, we go out to search for him? I can't exactly use my nose when it's raining, and… too many Pokémon for me to sense their aura."

"This isn't that big of a town. If we need to find him, we'll find him." Rowan almost sounded reassuring, which made Nick feel more confident about this. "...I'm not letting him have his way with you. Not on my watch."

"Noted." Nick turned around, leaving with his grandpa.

It was all fine when they left the house—even if they did hear a thunderclap that was louder than the others. However, that same noise was able to mask Fawkes when he dropped from the ceiling, already seeing they were far away from the entrance to notice him.

Well, I almost wanted to surprise them, but I'm supposed to look inside.

Easy enough for him. Plus, all Fawkes needed to do was check if there really was a human living in that house. He grumbled, opening the door and letting himself in.

"Alright… that Zorua is in a safe spot, neutralized too. Just need to see if I can find any evidence…" Fawkes rolled his eyes. "A human! That stuff from legends! Did they seriously expect me to fall for that crap?"

Granted, they did pay him. Fawkes almost didn't like that—being an explorer and reduced to a common mercenary, all because of those two. Oh, his teeth dripped with poison while he thought about them.

Fawkes eventually climbed the stairs, being met with multiple doors. There was no point in checking out Rowan's room, so he went for Nick's instead.

"...What a mess. Teenagers…" he muttered, inspecting the bed. Nothing out of the ordinary, and neither was the mattress on the floor. It did smell like the sea, for some reason.

Oh, right, the mattress on the floor. Considering there was a bed already, it told him someone else used that room.

"...Right, there's supposedly a Marshtomp living here." Fawkes knew that this particular kind of Pokémon didn't usually live there, so that was… a point for the human theory, even if it still sounded like a stretch. "But how am I supposed to find human evidence?! I don't know what they look like, damn it!"

It felt like a waste of time, because no matter how much Fawkes messed around with the drawers, the closet and… everything else in the room, he didn't find any evidence of humans. Just teenagers having a messy room.

Eventually, he stopped in front of a picture, sitting on top of a desk. Fawkes looked at it, his eyes going wide. As it turned out, it was a picture of his former colleagues and teammates, Mia and Harvey. An Obstagoon and a Lucario, hugging, while the Lucario held a baby Riolu in her arms.

"Heh. Guess I got the short end of the stick, right, Mia, Harvey?"

Compared to them, Fawkes' life had been nothing but a mess. He screwed up so many chances that, the last time, he ended up killing them. And that was something he could never take back.

It felt like both were looking at him, something that Fawkes snarled at.

"Don't look at me like that. I had no choice! It was that or they killed me!"

Nothing. He snarled, before punching the photo, sending it crashing against the wall and shattering the glass inside. Fawkes sighed, looking at himself.

"...This is pointless. I might as well confront that damn mutt directly about humans. And to do that… I need to set the stage."

That involved grabbing a few more of those pesky teenagers.

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Terry was staying inside during the storm. Not only did he not want to soak his cloak, he also had quite a few books to read, so there was little reason for him to leave.

Naturally, Liz remained there with him, watching the windows. "Hm, I was not expecting a storm today."

"Maybe it got so hot that it ended up raining?" Terry sipped a cup of tea. If there was anything he managed to learn back home, it was how to brew proper tea.

"...I see." Liz moved out of the window, but before she did, she managed to see a shadow in the distance, near a tree. It disappeared just as quickly. "Terry, there is someone here."

"Wait, are you sure, or—"

"I am fairly sure!" Liz moved towards the door, frowning. "I saw a shadow, and it disappeared. Someone is watching us."

"That isn't…" he put the book down, grumbling. Liz could be paranoid sometimes, but with how serious she sounded, Terry thought best to trust her. "Fine! Did you get a good look?!"

"Not with a storm this big!" Liz glanced at the windows, trying to predict where their mysterious assailant would appear from.

The windows were a good option, and just as she thought about them, both sets shattered, a five-pointed projectile flying through both. As a result, the howling winds from outside entered, along with a few drops of rain.

"Agh! Terry!"

"I know, I know!" The prince snarled, baring his fangs.

He was too slow. A blur moved past him, striking the Tyrunt with a singular claw that was infected with poison, and soon enough Terry felt it enter his system, falling down.

On the other hand, Liz was quick enough to sprout vines in order to restrain Terry's attacker. It was… a Sneasler?

"Terry!" Liz cried out before she brought her attention over to the assailant. "You! You poisoned him!"

"Tch, I did something stupid and ruined my element of surprise—"

The vines surrounding him grew tighter, which made Fawkes wince. "Take it easy! He's not dying, he's just gonna be quiet for a little while! Lighten up, this is supposed to be fun! At least, it is for me!"

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"Me?! Take it easy?! You clearly do not know me!" Liz wanted to choke him then and there, but even she knew better. She had to get information first.

"Urgh…" Terry tried to move, but as he found out, his body was in no condition for that. "H-How much poison was that…?"

"Enough." Fawkes winked at him, looking back at Liz. "Look, I just need you two, I don't have any problems with you, but I gotta get that mutt's attention somehow."

"Mutt…?" Liz blinked. "You mean Nick?!"

"Not that dumb, huh?"

"S-Shut up!" Terry hissed, putting as much effort as he could to stand, despite how drowsy he felt. He immediately fell back down, groaning. "I don't know who you are, but my friends are out of question!"

"I—I'm sorry, you think you and her are controlling this situation?!" He grinned, flashing his claws and slashing at the vines covering his body, cutting through them like they were made of paper. Then, Fawkes looked at Liz again. "Well, I think it'd be boring if none of you showed any kind of resistance… so, by all means, do try it!"

"You know poison will not work on me." Liz rolled her eyes, retreating some of the vines. "I have not had the time to practice this maneuver yet."

Her vines began to shift, turning pointed and sharp; like blades. Liz jumped, trying to hit her opponent with the swords. However, Fawkes was more agile than he seemed to be, dodging her attacks again and again.

"Bravo, bravo! You're a feisty little girl! You're trying to beat me, but that's not really working, is it?!"

Wind gathered in one of Fawkes' claws, and he quickly swung it while Liz was trying to attack—it struck her, and the cut was enough to send her back…

Only for Liz to sink her vines on the ground, preventing her from moving back further.

"I am not a frail girl." The Roselia held her head up as she stood her ground. "You would be wise not to test me."

"True! But then again, I'm not the smartest guy around." Fawkes used this moment to grab something in his bag. "I know I can't poison you."

Liz lowered her head, then raised it, pulling the vines so she would be propelled forwards, her own flowers coated in poison. Even if it wouldn't be effective, she had to try.

This time, the attack hit. Or rather, Fawkes let her hit him, brushing the poison off as a simple tickle—the impact, on the other hand, was a tad rough, making him groan.

Despite this, he was still standing. "Well, well, well… I may not be smart, but you made the wrong decision here."

Liz looked down just in time to see Fawkes launching a seed in her stomach—a Stun Seed, which burst open and released its contents down on her, forcing her to fall down.

"Well, that was easier than I thought." Fawkes clapped his hands together, showing a toothy grin. "Now, now, where do I take you… oh, I know where!"

Two down, two more to go.

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"We aren't finding anything."

Nick was in the middle of the town with his grandpa, and the two were looking around. "Did he live here or anything?"

"For most of his life, yes. At least, as far as I know." Rowan grumbled. "I think I see what you mean. You think he knows where to hide."

"Pretty sure he does, yeah." Nick crossed his arms. Where could they even look? "I… I think I wanna warn the others. Check on Shiron and Audrey. Can you—"

"I'll look at your base. We'll meet here once we're done, alright?"

Nick nodded. "Aye! Gramps, please…"

"...You be careful too, Nick."

"I guess he's not that good with words," Nick sighed, glancing around. The bakery was close by, he just needed to… get there.

And once he arrived, Nick knocked on the door so many times that his paws were left aching. It took a little while, but he heard someone coming over.

Magnus opened the door. "I'm sorry, we're closed—oh, Nick! It's a little late, don't you think?"

"Uh… I guess, but that's not really the point right now! Where's Shiron?! We kinda have an urgent mission—"

"Here, here!" Shiron hurried to the door, standing next to Magnus. "What's wrong, man?"

All through the day, Nick was taking things easy. Even with the news about Fawkes, about what he did… he tried not to show any kind of reaction to it. Not in front of his grandpa, anyway.

But it was hard to keep all that bottled up. Nick's legs were trembling, and he was gasping for air, clutching his chest. Even his vision was blurry, only barely able to make out the shapes of his friends.

"I… I need…" Nick groaned, trying to force the words out. "N-Need, need…"

Shiron glanced at Magnus, who moved out of the way. "Need my help, right?"

"Murderer… is getting here, might be here already…"

"...Oh. Oh, that's—" Shiron bit his lip. "Yeah, let's go! What are friends for?!"

"I dunno what this is about, but…" Magnus sighed. "Good luck, you two."

"Right, yeah. Thanks, Magnus!" Shiron clutched his scarf, focusing all his attention on Nick, even as the Quilladin closed his door. "So, first, let's take a deep breath, alright?"

Nick nodded, trying to relax. In and out, like Shiron said. His senses slowly returned, but his voice was still a bit faint. "Gramps said… my parents didn't die in an accident."

"Really?" Shiron blinked. He didn't even know about that, but… well, it wasn't the time to start asking questions. "Alright, so what's the plan? What do we need to do?"

"He might be here already, so… I wanted to check on you. You and Audrey. Gramps is handling the HQ."

"Well, sounds like I'm accounted for, at least." Shiron frowned. Was… being there for Nick enough? He never had that many friends to really know if this was good for him or not.

"You are, yeah. Now I wanna see if Audrey is still there." Nick put his goggles on, showing his fangs off. "I don't have a good feeling about this, but I'd rather confirm it with a friend that I can trust."

He trusts me?! Shiron nodded, rubbing the back of his head. "Uh, okay then! Let's go!"

But Nick was already running, meaning Shiron had to keep up with his friend. They ran through the rain, until Nick stopped in front of the building.

Already, he could tell something was wrong, since the door was open. "She… Audrey always locks it when leaving! She wouldn't just forget about it!"

"I-I… I get it." Shiron gulped. He stepped forward, taking a peek inside. "Nick, I—"

"..."

No response, and Nick entered the building after his friend. Of all the times he wished his instincts were wrong, this was by far the worst. He thought something was wrong, but… but she wasn't there. Nobody was there.

"D-Damn it." Nick fell to his knees, clenching both of his fists. As much as he tried to hold them back, his tears just kept rolling out of his eyes. "Damn it, damn it! I didn't ask for this! I didn't—he's going to pay!"

"H-Hey, Nick…" Shiron figured out that this was above his area of expertise, but even so, he couldn't let his friend handle it alone. "We're gonna find her, alright? It's not all lost yet. I… I'm here for you."

"Find her…" he groaned. Was it that easy to calm down, to focus on the task at hand? Nick didn't know. He didn't want to know.

In fact, figuring out what to do would be impossible… if Shiron wasn't around to help him. Nick didn't exactly know why he was still crying, but Shiron being next to him made that such an easy task that he appreciated it, even if he didn't quite get what he was feeling.

"Look, I've… I've had my fair share of breakdowns." Shiron muttered. At the very least, empathizing with Nick felt like it'd help him out. "And they pass. They might not look like they'll pass, but they all do in the end."

"...We're gonna have a talk about this in the future." Nick inhaled, then let out a long sigh, slowly standing up. It all happened so fast Nick wasn't even sure how he was keeping it together. "You're right. We will find her."

…I can't believe I was actually able to help him. How?! Shiron sighed in relief after his friend. "Alright, what's the plan, then?"

"For starters, meet with Gramps again. But I should probably check what this place has—" Nick sniffed the air, and immediately was struck with a particularly pungent smell coming from the ground. "Ew!"

"...What?"

"Some kinda poison, smells disgusting." Nick groaned, kneeling to take a better look at the ground. Part of the wood was covered in a purple substance, which was giving off that scent. "Right, Gramps said he was a Sneasler. Makes sense, since I think they're part poison-type."

What is a Sneasler? Shiron blinked, keeping the thought to himself. He'd never come across one, but the name made it sound like some kind of Sneasel. "Right."

"Wait, there's more than a few drops here!"

Paying attention to them, Nick almost thought they looked like a trail. It made him curious, and just in case, he traced over, leading him to the counter, where he saw a note. Or, at least, a piece of paper. Considering it also smelled like poison, he made a hunch it was related to Fawkes.

"Let me read this thing…" Nick picked it up, deciding to read it out loud. "'Hey, mutt. If you're the one reading this, congrats! I'm Fawkes, not that you remember me. Some guys bailed me out, and I really don't like leaving loose ends, so unfortunately, I gotta take care of you. But not now. I'm probably waiting at your home, so we can at least meet.'"

"..." the mutt, as Fawkes put it, crushed the paper with his paws, throwing it in the ground. "We're solving this, right?"

"I-I'm sorry. I don't know much about your parents, or about this Fawkes guy, but… I'm here to offer my support."

Nick put his goggles on the top of his head again, sighing. "Mom and dad were kinda like us. Heroes, saving others, helping out. Fawkes was their teammate. Mom wanted to take him in, since he had a rough upbringing, met some bad 'mons here and there…"

"Really?" A frown. "I didn't know your family was that… complicated."

"You don't have the faintest idea." Nick looked down at the note, snarling. "I was too young to know, but Gramps told me there were more than a few incidents where he broke their trust. Eventually…"

"He betrayed them," Shiron blurted out, because he figured that was the gist of it.

"You got it. I thought it was an accident, but… in hindsight, I was stupid. I thought that… there was no way he'd betray them. Maybe believing in him was a dumb call to make. Maybe—"

Out of nowhere, Shiron had enveloped his friend in a hug. A strong one, but not too tight. Nick could leave it if he wanted.

"Hey. I don't think so! Believing in others is great. If you hadn't… I probably would've drowned in the sea."

"I…" Nick was stunned by the hug at first, but he quickly returned the gesture. "...I see your point, but I dunno, somehow I doubt Marshtomp can drown."

"To be fair, I used to be a human." Shiron chuckled, pulling apart from his friend. "Anyway, meeting with your grandpa, right? Where is he?"

"Said he'd be at our HQ, but then he'd meet me in the middle of the city, so… let's go."

----------------------------------------

More rain, though Shiron didn't really seem to mind it. He found it ironic that it was raining now of all times, considering the entire situation with Nick. As they both walked towards the center, he couldn't help but notice how quiet his friend was acting.

Usually, Nick would be speaking the whole way, but it wasn't happening. Shiron frowned at that, hoping Nick could handle it if things got worse. In any case, Shiron was there to help, however he could.

It didn't take long before they managed to see Rowan standing alone, crossing his arms. The Pangoro looked over at them in the distance, waiting with an unreadable expression.

"Gramps…" Nick muttered as he got closer. "You didn't find them, did you?"

"...No." Rowan said, sighing. He raised a paw to show a wet paper he was holding. "Just this, a note from Fawkes."

"M-Mister Rowan, we found another note in the store. It didn't tell us much, just that—"

"Said Fawkes might be in our house, and that he wants to tie loose ends." Nick then pointed at himself. "I guess that means me."

"Like I said, I'm not letting it happen to you." Rowan huffed, clenching the paper in his paws. "...Your friends weren't there, and I assume Audrey wasn't in the office either?"

"No, s-sir." Shiron replied and clutched his scarf. How useful would he be in this situation? He really didn't want to fight, but if it meant helping Nick…

"I suppose our best move is to go back home, we'll see if he's there…"

"And if he's not?" Shiron raised an arm. He felt asking it was important.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there." Nick tried to reassure both his friend and himself.

"Good answer," the Pangoro had already started walking. "We need to hurry."

"That's obvious, Gramps!" Nick tapped a foot on the ground, grumbling as he began to follow.

Meanwhile, Shiron was the one keeping quiet. There wasn't much he could do to help in that situation, so he felt keeping quiet was by far the best option he had. Though… he had a bad feeling about this. About the whole situation, like there was more to it than he thought.

Honestly, he just hoped that all of them could handle it.

----------------------------------------

As they approached the house, Nick put his goggles back on, seeing that the door was open already. Rowan saw this too, moving ahead of his grandson, as well as Shiron.

"I'll go in first."

"But Gramps—"

"I'm going first and that's final." Rowan glared at him, moving through the open door into the house.

For a while, they didn't hear anything coming from inside. Nick flicked his ears, trying to detect any sound he could, despite the constant drops making it harder on him.

"How long should we wait until we check how things are in there?" Shiron asked, but… he had a feeling the answer was to not wait and, instead, jump right in.

It therefore didn't surprise him when Nick didn't respond, rushing off into the house. Sighing, Shiron followed him. Once they entered, they found that Rowan was standing still, looking at the couch. And there, sitting on the couch… was Fawkes.

"Ah, good. I was gettin' tired of waiting for all of you. I mean, minus the Marshtomp."

"R-Rude!" Shiron blurted out without thinking, then grabbed his scarf again.

"Gramps, did he do anything to you…?" Nick raised his head to look at Rowan, expecting anything from him.

"...No." Rowan snarled, but he kept his gaze at Fawkes, not budging an inch. "We were just talking."

"Correction: he wanted to pummel me into the ground, but I gently reminded this old loaf that I'm the only one that knows where the rest of your friends are." Fawkes shrugged, chuckling.

"The rest of—" Nick snarled, his fur suddenly standing on end, while his tail perked up. "You took them! You took Audrey!"

Fawkes just rolled his eyes in response. "Hey, I'm kinda the bad guy here, what did you expect me to do? Have a nice tea party with them?"

"Y-You…" the Riolu took a single step forward, snarling so much he sounded like a feral of his kind.

"Nick, don't! You're doing what he wants you to do!" Rowan pleaded, but it was too late.

With a roar, Nick jumped towards Fawkes, his claws glistening like metal as he tried to slash his opponent. However, the attack was blocked… by Fawkes' own claws.

"Tsc, tsc, tsc. How can you expect to be a hero if this upsets you so much? You gotta be cool, hard-boiled." Fawkes raised a leg, kicking Nick. Considering their difference in height, the kick was enough to hit Nick's whole body, sending him up, then crashing down. "Maybe you're just a scared little boy, going way over his head!"

"W-Wait, Nick!" Shiron pleaded for his friend, trembling. This was… wrong, all kinds of wrong. And he wanted to do something about it.

However, Rowan was the first to make any kind of move, one fist igniting in flames, the other crackling with electricity. Fawkes barely had enough reaction time to dodge one of them. The other attack, though, hit his stomach perfectly, and he screamed out, being thrown straight through the wall, puncturing a hole into it.

"Don't badmouth my grandson." Rowan cracked his knuckles, arms crossed, before he glanced at Shiron. "Kid, take care of him. I'll handle this murderer."

Nick coughed a bit, before he slowly stood up, rubbing some sweat off his face. "That was nothing, Gramps! Plus, it's three against one!"

"Ow, ow… I knew you'd pack one hell of a punch…" Fawkes fell down, groaning and removing a bit of rubble still on his fur. "I'm not here to fight. I mean, I'd love to, but really, I think you're having the wrong read of this situation."

"You're a killer! What kind of read am I supposed to have?!" Nick clenched a fist, and he was very close to drawing blood on his own palm from exerting too much force.

"For starters, figuring out where your friends are." Fawkes licked his lips, grinning. "Because… well, I don't know if they'll be able to stay there for very long, paralyzed and all."

Nick could feel his heart sinking from those words alone. He… didn't want to think what that meant, but if he didn't get that information out of Fawkes…

"You hid them." Rowan huffed again. "Not many places to do that in this town, don't you think?"

So far, Shiron had kept quiet. He was holding back the urge to plant his fist on Fawkes' head, no matter how much he wanted to do that. But… he could at least say something.

"...You're despicable." Shiron said. "And we're not letting you get away with it."

"I can escape whenever I want, y'know? What's stopping me from doing that now?"

Nick snarled again, holding his arm with a paw, aiming at Fawkes. Orange aura had started to gather around his palm. "S-Say that again! I'll take you out here and now!"

"Nah. Higher-ups bailed me out, and now I have a mission. I don't need you alive, Nicholas." He chuckled. "I just need to find the human. That's it. Higher-ups want it."

"Higher-ups?" Rowan raised a brow. "And who would that be? Care to share?"

"Try to take that out of my mouth~" Fawkes showed off his claws again, rushing towards Nick.

This was going to be easy, nice and clean. He'd just need to hit the Riolu and—

Something stopped him. Someone stopped him. Shiron had grabbed the claws, even if they were dripping with poison. Neither Nick nor Rowan even saw him move from his spot.

"You're not hurting my friend." Shiron glanced back. He began to squeeze the claws, ignoring the burning Fawkes' poison was bringing him. "Who are your superiors?!"

"T-Tch, ow, ow, ow! Fine! I'll tell ya!" Fawkes hissed, eyes widening. The pain he felt was bearable, for the most part. "I dunno! A foundation, I think! Told me they were the Anthropos Foundation. Hell if I know who they are!"

Rowan stopped once he heard the name, mental gears grinding.

The name made Shiron's heart skip a beat, because it sounded so… familiar. But there was no time for that. "Nick, this is your chance, do it!"

"Wait, what are you—" Fawkes yelped as Shiron threw him back, towards Nick.

Nick was just as surprised, but he wasn't about to waste this opportunity, trying to aim a Force Palm now that Fawkes was right in front of him. The energy moved through his body, through his arm, all the way to his palm. And then…

…Like before, it blew up on his face. Nick screamed out, falling on the floor, while Fawkes only grinned, landing on his feet. Rowan was on his side, swinging his arm to punch the Sneasler.

What he ended up hitting was something else, a sphere that cracked with his fist, unleashing a blinding light that knocked him back, as well as forcing the others to close their eyes.

When the light was gone… so was Fawkes. Shiron grunted, trying to find his bearing. Unfortunately, the poison kicked in, and he ended up falling to his knees.

"Wait, where is he—" Nick cringed, looking around. "N-No, no! Where's Fawkes?!"

"He used a Luminous Orb…" Rowan rubbed his eyes and groaned. "We lost track of him."

"...Damn it." Nick moved his paws to his head, rubbing that area repeatedly. "What are we supposed to do now?!"

Shiron stopped to think. Even while his hand burnt, he thought. What did Fawkes want? A human… which made things easier, because they happened to have that already.

"He wants a human…" Shiron looked at himself. "And we have one, me!"

Nick's ears flicked. "What?! Are you suggesting using yourself as bait?!"

"You're my friend. Of course I'd do it for you," Shiron said, as he winced at the poison's burn.. "Plus, I'm interested in those bosses of his. That name sounded familiar…"

Rowan closed his eyes. "There isn't just one human here. I… I used to be one."

"Wait, wha—" Nick blinked, pinching his arm to make sure he wasn't dreaming or anything. "You're human?! Well, a former human, but still!"

"We'll discuss it later." Rowan added. "There's more important things at stake."

"…He already knew I'm human, right?" Shiron sighed in response.

"It was obvious." Rowan simply shrugged. "In any case, that name was familiar to me as well. Anthropos… is a word intrinsically related to humans. We'll figure that out later."

"Mom and dad—" Shiron shook his head; that wasn't the word he'd use for them both. "...The couple that adopted me made me take classes on ancient languages. I don't remember the name of it, but it's very old. Dead, too. Nobody uses that language anymore. But the name… I recognize it."

"...This sucks." Nick grumbled, crossing his arms. He didn't really get what that name meant, or why those two were making such a big deal out of it.

They simply didn't have the time to wonder about that. Nick himself didn't want to risk their lives, but… what other choice did they have?