Chapter 21 - Scion

Be The One Be The One All right!

I don't wanna give it up, fighting for tomorrow

Be The Light Be The Light All right!

Love is strong and it'll always find a way

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

Rowan worked on putting things back where they were supposed to be after Fawkes left. Adjusting paintings, moving the couch to the center of the room, all that. It didn't take him very long, nor did he need to put in a lot of effort.

"As soon as I'm done here, we'll be leaving. We just need to figure out where he is." Rowan glanced at them. "For the record, I'd advise you two to be careful when we confront him. I don't want to state the obvious, but he uses poison."

"Oh, then this was… kind of a bad idea." Shiron groaned, while Nick put a pink plaster around his arm, right where the Marshtomp touched Fawkes' poison. It smelled a little sweet.

"You're lucky, but you're also crazy. There's ways to fight him without getting poisoned." Nick muttered to his friend, rubbing the rest of the pecha berry paste. "Don't think you'll need to head to the hospital, though."

Shiron sighed, looking to the other side. "...I just didn't like the way he was talking to you. It felt demeaning. And trust me, I know how that feels."

"Uh, thanks?" Nick wasn't sure how to respond, so he tried to change the subject. "Anyway, about you humans. We need to come up with a plan. I don't like to use you or Gramps as bait, but…"

"I've been here for longer." Rowan turned around, arms crossed. "If anyone should be bait, it should be me. That way, we can keep Shiron's secret for a while longer."

Nick sighed, backing off from Shiron to think. I need to know what Fawkes' goal is. Revenge seems right, but… I'm not sure if that's all there is to it. Is there something more? Something for that organization he mentioned? Anthropos?

Obviously, there was also the issue of where the others were taken. Nick assumed it had to be somewhere relevant, but… where?

"This town isn't too big, so I can't see him hiding them in a lot of places—"

"...What?" Shiron blinked. "Nick, you started talking out of nowhere. I'm not following your line of thought."

"He does that sometimes," Rowan admitted, shrugging his arms. "In any case, he's right. Fawkes doesn't have a lot of places to hide. It's likely he'd be staying somewhere meaningful to us."

Nick didn't see how that would help. As far as he knew, they were still starting that investigation. Now, if only there were some smart detectives to help…

"...Well, this house is relevant to me and to you, Gramps. To my parents, too. I think we should start searching around here."

"Once again, you're right, Nick." Rowan pointed at the couch. Specifically, towards a few patches of fur stuck to it. Dark gray fur. "This couch has a lot of fur, since Nick and I both have it."

He paused to look at the other two again. "Now, assuming that Nick did his chores properly and cleaned the couch—"

Nick's fur stood up. "Hey!"

"...As I was saying, if this couch was clean, then this fur can only belong to him."

During that conversation, Shiron realized something that might help them out. He was talking to a Pangoro, but also to a Riolu—a Pokémon similar to the likes of Rockruff and Growlithe, although bipedal. And blue.

"Wait, wait! Nick, can't you use your nose to sniff his scent?! We have his fur!"

"...What?" Nick shook his head. "My sense of smell ain't that great. And considering all the rain, it wouldn't be of much use either."

"...Oh." Shiron felt his face heat up and clutched the scarf to calm down. "S-Sorry. I thought it'd help! I didn't mean to screw up! W-Well, we might still be able to find them—"

"Ahem. Shiron, calm down." Rowan cleared his throat, tracing his arm from the couch to the floor, ending on the stairs. More patches of fur could be seen, extending all the way to the second floor of the house. "We may not be able to track him through scent, but we know where he went."

"Our room!" Shiron blurted out, following the trail of the fur. "But… if that's the case, can't we just follow the fur outside?"

Nick shook his head. "The water might've flushed it out. But anyway, I think we should check our room, just in case."

"You two do that," Rowan added, kneeling to check the couch once more. "I'll try to find more clues. And Nick?"

A groan left the Riolu's mouth as he nodded. "Yes, Gramps. I'm not going to be reckless. I promise you."

Meanwhile, Shiron was already climbing up the stairs, motioning for Nick to follow him.

It didn't take long before they reached the second floor, and then, their room. However, when Nick tried to open the door, it only opened partially.

"Something's blocking it," he grunted, struggling to open the door.

Shiron just shrugged. "I can see that. Hold on."

He approached the door, pushing it with his two hands. Shiron grunted a bit, but the door opened right away, and whatever was holding it fell down with a loud thud.

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

What they saw inside was a mess. Nick blinked, rubbing his eyes to confirm he wasn't the one that made that. Their beds were broken; splinters of wood spread everywhere. The table was holding back the door, but now it had fallen. His chair was broken too, and the closet was on the floor as well.

"..."

Nick let out a sigh that went for a good few seconds. "I don't think Gramps is gonna ground me for this."

"He probably made this a mess so we'd have a hard time finding any clues." Shiron pointed out. "...Or he has anger issues."

"Honestly, I wouldn't doubt he had a hissy fit. I think it suits him." Nick grumbled, grabbing some of the splinters. He turned back towards the door, throwing the wood out of his room. "I doubt this is gonna help us, so…"

"R-Right." Shiron sighed. He lifted the bed, looking underneath it, but all he found were empty soda cans. "Nick, you really need to be more organized."

"I was gonna! But this isn't the time to complain about my habits!" Nick opened the drawers, checking each one, but they just had books. "Tch, I don't think there's anything here."

"Well, when you're that messy, it's hard to find something—"

"Not the time, Shiron!" Nick protested, moving to the closet. "Help me pull this thing up, we're gonna need it."

"I… I'm not the brawns of this team, am I? I mean, I can help, but…" Despite his words, Shiron held the closet with his hands, helping Nick pull it up.

Nick remembered that closet. Or the stories his mom told him about it. "Apparently, this was made by Gramps. And by my dad. Mom said they worked together to build it."

"Huh? That's… cool, I guess." Shiron continued pulling it up.

Once it reached the point where the doors were visible, they slowly began to open.

"H-Hold on, I don't want anything spilling out!"

Shiron put more force into it, trying to lift it as soon as possible. However, the doors opened, spilling out some bags, scarves, hats, but also…

A framed painting. It fell, and the two heard the sound of glass shattering coming from it. Nick's eyes widened, and he pulled the closet again, finally lifting it up.

He didn't waste any time before grabbing the painting in his paws, kneeling in the process. Shiron looked at his friend, seeing that Nick's paws were trembling as he held the painting.

"Nick…? What's wrong?"

"I thought… I thought this was ruined. It's a painting of my parents. We, uh, didn't have money to afford a full picture, so I… we got this painted." Nick sighed in relief, standing up. The tremors in his paws slowed down, until they stopped. "I couldn't let that happen."

…It must be nice, having parents that love you. But I'm not holding that against him. Shiron rubbed one of his arms. "I-I see. I understand you."

Shiron thought about something to ask, but once again, it felt like he was intruding. "Uh… Nick, would you like to talk about your parents? I'd love to hear about them."

"Maybe some other time—"

Nick stopped himself. At the corner of the painting, near the frame, he saw a piece of paper, or at least, the edge of it. White paper, which meant it didn't belong to the painting.

"Something's… here," he took a closer look, grabbing the paper and pulling it out. "A note?"

"What's written onit?"

It took a while for Nick to say anything. Mostly because he was reading, but the contents of the paper were… strange.

"It's… it's a riddle, listen." Nick cleared his throat. "'I have a name that's not mine, and no one cares about me in their prime.'"

Nick stopped to wince, sniffing the paper. Thankfully not enough to be poisoned, but the scent was obvious. "...And this thing smells awful. Fawkes wrote it."

"Is… is this guy joking? What's wrong with him?!" Shiron put both hands in his head, groaning. "Does he get a kick out of seeing us struggle or what?!"

To Shiron's surprise, Nick was actually smiling. "Nah. I mean, maybe he does, but this is an opportunity. We have a fighting chance!"

"...That's surprisingly thoughtful of him. Unless he's playing with us."

Which would fit with what little Shiron knew about Fawkes. Whatever, they had a clue. Although… "Hm, this doesn't seem like a full riddle, what if there's more to it?"

Nick sighed again, putting the painting on his bed. "Yeah, I was just thinking about that. Can't be the whole thing. Fawkes might be sending us to a wild Ducklett chase."

"I thought so, but it's our only shot. We should try it." Shiron grumbled. He wanted to believe that Fawkes was playing fair, but…

"NICK, SHIRON! Come here to the living room!"

Nick's ears twitched. "Gramps is calling us."

"Noted!" Shiron nodded, leaving the room with his friend.

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

Rowan was holding a sheet of paper in one of his paws, and once Nick saw that, he lifted his arm to show his own paper. At a first glance, they seemed to be identical.

"I see you've found something there."

Nick gulped. "Uh, yes, the room is kinda messy. But in my defense, Fawkes did it!"

"...We'll get there when we get there, Nick." Rowan rolled his eyes. "In any case, this paper doesn't say much. It's a riddle."

"Ours is a riddle too." Shiron added, rubbing his hand on his forehead. "Maybe they're halves? It'd be nice if they were halves."

"Hm… I'll tell you mine." Rowan looked at the paper with a big frown. "People cry at my sight and lie by me all day and night."

"Huh, well, using mine and yours, the complete sentence seems to be…" Nick prepared to speak. "I have a name that's not mine and no one cares about me in their prime. People cry at my sight and lie by me all day and night."

That still didn't tell them much. Shiron didn't figure it out… nor did he have any idea. And from how the others looked puzzled, he figured they didn't know about it either. Either it was a very difficult thing to figure out, or Shiron was just stupid.

He was inclined to believe the second option. "...I don't get it."

"A name that isn't yours…" Nick rubbed the back of his head. "I wonder if it's something about their team? Nobody names their team after themselves, right? And evildoers sure cry when you mention a powerful group's name!"

Shiron thought that made perfect sense, and his eyes sparkled. "You're right! This must be it! A team! But… what does it have to do with you? I don't see how it's relevant."

For a moment, Nick stopped, thinking. Then, he smirked, seemingly having figured it out. "Dude, hold on! We're a team, right? You, me, Liz and Terry! That means he's in our HQ! Don't you agree?"

"Oooooh! You're totally right! Now we just need to come up with a good plan and—"

"You're wrong." Rowan interrupted them, holding his piece of paper. He started to crush it, making the whole thing crumble. "It's not a team. I know what the answer is, and I know where he is, too."

Nick raised a brow at that. "And what's the answer, Gramps?"

"...A name that doesn't belong to you. People are scared of you, and someone lays in you day and night."

There was another pause as Rowan let them sink the information in their heads. A wall of silence stood between the three. Nick processed the information, and with that, he realized what the truth really was.

Until Nick decided to break the silence. "It's a tombstone."

His voice was faint. Nick clenched his fists, gritting his teeth. "He's at the graveyard! I… I can't believe it! It was right in front of us! Why didn't I think of it before?!"

Shiron gulped. Of course, of course it'd be somewhere creepy like that! But that still left their actual plan. How to fight against Fawkes, when he could incapacitate them easily?

"I'll… I'll grab as much pecha as I can find in the town." Shiron blurted out. "You two go there, since Fawkes is lookin' for a human and all…"

"Sounds good to me." Nick put his goggles on, snarling. "Gramps! We're saving all of 'em, right?!"

"I'd much rather fight him myself, but… yes, I do intend to help you save them, so try not to worry."

Not worrying was going to be hard for Nick, given how he acted. However, Rowan was right, which meant Nick would have to try his best to remain relaxed.

Nick looked at his paws. If only he could get the hang of that stupid move, then he'd have a better chance in combat. Every single time he tried, it blew up in his face, literally. As such, Nick decided not to count on that attack, and instead try everything else.

"Well, if that's the case… I'll go ahead." Shiron turned around to face the door, walking that way.

But he returned right away. "Uh, sorry, mister Rowan. I don't wanna see you exposing yourself for me, but…"

"Kid, I've been through worse. I'll be fine. We'll all be fine, alright? Now, go!"

With a gulp, Shiron nodded before walking out of the house. Nick watched his friend leave before glancing at his grandfather.

"We have a pretty good shot at this, don't we?"

"I'd say so, but still, we must be careful, Nick. You don't know what kind of tricks Fawkes has in store for us."

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

Rowan walked through the road that led to the graveyard along with Nick, huffing. It was still raining, though not as much as before. Naturally, Nick used the journey there as an excuse to think.

Because… Nick didn't know what to do when facing Fawkes. His heart skipped a beat.

I… I'm not a killer. I don't want to do anything like that. Not to Fawkes, not to anyone.

Looking down at his claws made Nick wince. He could kill Fawkes if he tried. There were many ways to do that. And Nick thought that whatever legal consequences he'd face would be easy to handle.

It's not right for me to be an executioner, but I can't let him not suffer any consequences for what he did. Even if he didn't kill them directly, he was responsible.

"You're awfully quiet, Nick."

Nick raised his head as high as he could just to meet his grandpa's gaze. Usually, he'd see a stern gaze, but it wasn't like that. He almost looked… sad. A frown, heavy eyes, ears twitching.

"I'm just thinking. It's normal to think, right?"

"When faced with this situation, I'd say so," the Pangoro replied, moving his head to face forward. "Would you care to tell me what those thoughts are?"

Nick stopped, his body shaking. "I… I wanna know what we're gonna do with him."

And after hearing that, Rowan also stopped his strol, looking down at Nick's eyes. Like himself, the Riolu was frowning, and his tail had drooped fully.

"...You're wondering if we should kill him."

That hit Nick right in the heart, and he groaned. "Yes, and I hate it! I don't want to—but he's… he's responsible! What should we do?! We can't just let him go!"

"...I know what you're feeling, Nick, but we don't have that right. We'll detain him, and once that's settled, he'll be taken to prison."

Nick flinched. Yes, yes, it made sense to send Fawkes to a prison. Kind of. "He got out once. What's stopping him from leaving again?"

"I have some contacts, Nick. I'm sending him to Silvergate."

"...Wha—" Nick gulped. He heard that name before… somewhere. "Isn't that the continent's maximum security prison? And it actually exists?! I thought that was just a myth!"

"A lot of myths have some kind of basis in reality." Rowan nodded, turning around again. "Did that make it easy for you?"

"Well, yeah, I guess…" Nick was unsure of it, to be honest. But it was better than his other options, so he took it.

With that in mind they continued the trek over the road, seeing the entrance to the graveyard; brick walls surrounding the area, with a lychgate in the middle, through which a few tombstones were visible. But not Fawkes.

"He's here. He has to be here!" Nick snarled, his tail suddenly perking up.

"Maybe, maybe not. We're here to check, and if he is here, we'll detain him."

Nick took a deep breath. There was a way of detecting if Fawkes was there or not: his aura sensing. It wouldn't be easy, considering how bad he was at sensing, but… but Audrey was in danger! He had to try.

So he closed his eyes, focusing only on his own breath. Nick couldn't see anything, but he thought about Audrey. About all their times together, on what they accomplished, and all that.

At the same time, he also thought about his friends. Liz, Terry, Shiron, Magnus, Amelia. All of them were important, and all helped him in some way.

Still nothing.

He let out a deep breath, then took another one in. Nick could do this! He could! Audrey believed in him, and so did all of his friends, as well as his grandpa.

Nothing.

…This wasn't working, was it? Nick tried to focus again on Audrey, to find the one that took her. He had to find him! Find all of them! A grunt left him, and he calmed down once again.

Nothing.

Why is this so hard?! It comes so easy to everyone of my kind! Why can't I… why can't I do this?!

Frustrated, Nick tried one final time. He could feel the grass beneath his feet, the raindrops falling over his head, the sounds of the trees' leaves rustling behind him…

Something. A faint signature. He could see it, even with his eyes closed. It looked like an amorphous blob, moving in all directions. And surrounding that blob were three others, though they didn't move nearly as much.

"...They're here. They're all here, Gramps!" Nick opened his eyes, gasping for air and shivering. "W-We gotta save Audrey! S-Save them! All of them!"

Rowan only nodded. "And we will."

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

Once they entered the cemetery, nothing unusual happened. Nick walked through a bunch of tombstones, following the carved path in the middle so he wouldn't disturb any of them.

It didn't take Nick and Rowan very long until they managed to see a familiar-looking Sneasler in the distance, with crossed arms. Fawkes, in return, glanced at them with a smirk as they approached.

Nick saw something different, though. This time, Fawkes was wearing a tattered red cloak. He didn't stop to get any details about Fawkes before, but now that he paid attention, Nick saw a few scars around the Sneasler, and a bang that covered one of his eyes. There were also a few patches that looked like burnt fur.

"Yo! You guys sure took your sweet time findin' out I was here! I was startin' to get bored! And, well, I don't seem to have much company to pass the time. I haven't unearthed them yet." Fawkes stopped to chuckle at his own joke, before moving his cloak. "Oh, and since I'm here meetin' the son of my teammates… I thought it'd be nice to wear my cloak. As you can see, it had better days."

"That is a lousy attempt at humor, Fawkes." Rowan raised a brow, before sighing. "I know this won't mean anything to you, but let the hostages go. I'd rather not involve them in this."

"Hostages?" Fawkes tilted his head. "I dunno anything about hostages, geezer!"

To that, Nick growled. "Cut the crap, Fawkes! I sensed you, but I also sensed my friends! Where'd you keep them?!"

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

"Ah… I almost forgot about that dreaded sense of yours, though I heard it ain't as good as mommy's, is it?" Fawkes then pointed at both his right and his left. "Your friends are somewhere around here. I made sure to keep their tombstones nice and safe."

While Fawkes was talking, Nick paid attention to what the Sneasler was wearing. Namely, a backpack. He took a deep breath, preparing himself to jump.

Fawkes shook his head once he realized what Nick planned. "As well as using a nullify looplet to make sure they can't escape… though I can't say they're exactly healthy, poison ain't fun, or so I heard."

"One of them is immune." Rowan pointed out, referring to Liz. "I take it you took different measures."

"Stunning her was fun, I gotta admit." Fawkes shrugged. "...That bein' said, I wanted to see a human, but all I have is a geezer and a teenager. Ain't exactly what I was hoping for."

Nick looked up at his grandpa, and Rowan returned the look, before facing Fawkes again. "You've found him. I'm a human."

"...You're a human, old man?" Fawkes blinked, not sure if he believed it. "Tch, ya gotta be kiddin' me! That dumbass organization wanted one, and I even went to the trouble of settin' up this kidnapping attempt…"

"I'm not interested in that organization, if that's what you mean." Rowan growled. A glance below revealed to him that there was… something on the floor that shimmered slightly, in a purple color, next to Fawkes' claws. Wait, is that what I think it is?

"...Hah. I admit, that wasn't what I had in mind." Fawkes grumbled, kicking a pebble on the ground. "Well, ain't that fun, mutt? Your family is special, but you? You're nothing. Just a scared little mutt, trying desperately to find meaning in his own life."

"S-Shut up!"

"Nick, calm down! He's trying to get into your head!" Rowan alerted, moving forward. He wanted to check what those purple things Fawkes held were, but the rain and the low visibility in the night weren't helping. He had an idea of what they were, because if his memory was correct, Fawkes' species could learn that kind of move.

"Yeah, because that's the only way he's ever gonna do something, ain't it?" Fawkes pointed at Nick with his other arm, grinning. "If you were truly a hero, you'd have stopped me from kidnapping your girlfriend."

Hearing that made Nick's blood boil, and his veins bulged, visible under his fur.

"And… I mean, who knows? You detected a buncha auras, but who's to say one of them is from her? Maybe I killed her and hid the body somewhere~"

That… was all that Nick could take. He roared, branding his claws as they shimmered like metal. His movement was quick, and this time he was actually going to hit Fawkes.

If it weren't for Rowan shoving him out of the way and rushing in Nick's place, before yelping in pain as the objects he saw before made contact with his stomach, sinking in. Spikes, but not any normal kind. Purple spikes, filled with poison.

As it seeped deep in his body, Rowan fell to his knees, groaning. He started to sweat, barely able to keep his eyes open. Meanwhile, Nick grumbled, standing up and finally realizing what happened.

"G-Gramps!"

Fawkes whistled, backing off from the two. So far, the first step of his plan was done. "Wow, you're really worthless, huh? All it took was a little teasin' for you to try and hit me. That geezer is wounded because of you."

"S-Shut up!" Nick rushed to his grandpa's side, but then he received a cutting attack on his back, courtesy of Fawkes.

"G-Graah!" Nick fell back down, feeling both the stinging pain of the claws, as well as a bit of poison entering his bloodstream.

"Sheesh, this was almost too easy, y'know?!" Fawkes cracked his knuckles, grinning. "You weren't prepared at all!"

"You would be wise not to underestimate me…" Rowan grunted, standing up. Despite the poison running through his veins, he wasn't prepared to give up just yet. He grabbed all the spikes and tossed them aside, then closed a fist, ice coating it.

"What the hell?! That was enough poison to—"

Rowan didn't wait for Fawkes to finish his sentence before slamming his fist on the Sneasler's face, causing his opponent to grunt as Rowan shoved him down on the floor.

"G-Gramps!" Nick panted, his body shivering from the poison. What was worse was that his vision got blurry and… weird. He saw tombstones broken, everything was foggy, and, and—

"Y-You big, dumb oaf!" Fawkes was down, but he could still strike. Poison emerged from his fur, quickly solidifying into spikes similar to the ones he used before and since Rowan was right on top of him, there was no dodging the attack.

He launched them at his opponent, and Rowan received each one, stumbling and falling on his back. Fawkes, on the other hand, was able to stand normally.

"Damn it. This was supposed to be an easy mission! What the hell is their problem?!"

"G-Gramps!" Nick shouted, barely able to discern what was going on. He did understand that Rowan got attacked.

Nick tried his best to stay up, even though his balance was off and his senses confused. His vision in particular was going through a hard time. He took a few steps forward, trying to approach what he perceived to be Fawkes.

If I can just hold on a little longer, Shiron will get here with the pechas.

Just a little while. Nick panted, trying to aim his claws at Fawkes again, the figure of his opponent wobbling around without any true shape. He swung his arms, but in the end, Nick didn't hit anything.

"Pathetic mutt," Fawkes scoffed, baring his teeth to the Riolu. Just to make himself feel better, he kicked Nick down, forcing him to the ground.

Once his head hit the cold, hard floor, Nick groaned again. Things were getting weird. He was staring at the sky, seeing the clouds and some raindrops. But at the center of it all, the clouds seemed to change their shape, turning into something familiar for him.

"M-Mom, dad…" Nick reached out an arm, trying to grab the clouds.

For a moment, he did, but as he touched them, the image of his parents disappeared, and the clouds turned dark, while the drops became a blood-red color.

"D-Don't leave me here! I'm trying, I'm trying so hard! I want to be a hero! A hero worth your time! P-Please, I can do this!"

Nobody replied, not Fawkes, not his grandpa, no one there. Nick didn't even hear anything anymore, every sound turning silent. Not even his own cries were audible to him.

Yet, he continued to reach his arm out, hoping to grasp someone, a helping hand. Nick needed it… but it got worse. Despite the fact his arm was raised, he couldn't move it. His body didn't listen.

Feeling that, Nick let out a scream, the loudest he could possibly muster. Yet again, no sound came. He was alone, alone in that nightmare. What should he do? What could he do?

"I bet you're not even hearin' me, mutt." Fawkes said, looking at a kneeling Nick. "Your screams are gettin' a bit old, I gotta say. But… I guess it's better than you tryin' to kill me."

"S-Stop this…" Rowan muttered, managing to muster the strength to speak. "Why are you dragging him into this?! What did he ever do to you?!"

"His parents did!" Fawkes snarled, kicking Nick down again and seeing him roll. "And they're dead! So I can't even get my satisfaction!"

"So you're taking it out on a child?!"

"You took… all that poison, and you're not hallucinating." Fawkes blinked, then sighed. "I have to admit, it takes a lotta willpower to pull it off. I'm impressed with ya, old man."

Nick panted again, trying to resist the urge to vomit. He could make out that he was near another tombstone, faintly. Looking at it wasn't helping, but Nick felt the hard stone hitting his head.

"I-I'm sorry… I… I don't know what to do… I failed…"

He couldn't figure out how to go back to normal. The poison wouldn't kill him—Nick knew that much, but those hallucinations felt real. Too real for his taste.

"N-Nick! If you're hearing me, fight it! You can stand up! You can face him!"

"You're one annoying old man, ain't ya?" Fawkes rolled his eyes, turning around, leaping towards Nick, and grabbing him by his neck. "Well, I got the human sedated here, and the object of my rage right in front of me. I think I know what I gotta do now."

"H-Hah… h-hah…" Nick groaned, feeling that arm around his neck. It meant Fawkes was close, even if he couldn't see him. Close enough for an attack, maybe?

It would be a dumb, dangerous idea to pull it off, but they were close. Nick inhaled, breathing in as much air as he could—which wasn't much, considering the hold on his neck. Still, Nick had to try.

Focusing energy from his body to his arm, then to his paw. A few crackles of orange aura appeared between his fingers. Energy built up, coating all of his paw in that same glow. Nick closed his eyes.

He let go of the energy and just like his other attempts with using that move, it blew up on him. Except that this time, Fawkes was caught inthe explosion, and both were blown away in different directions. Nick eventually fell down again, screaming loudly.

But he did it. He was freed from Fawkes' grasp, even if his senses were still weird. Nick didn't know if he could fight in that condition, however, what he did know was that giving up wasn't something he could do.

S-Shiron should be here at any second… I can't see him, so I'm hoping he won't be drawing attention to himself!

"Fuck, that was a nasty blow…" Fawkes stood up, a bit charred from the attack, but not too injured. "Didn't think ya had any more tricks up your sleeve!"

Nick panted. With his senses in such a funk, he resorted to his aura prowess. Closing his eyes, Nick tried to pick up anyone around. This time, it was a bit easier, and he detected almost the same number of auras.

Almost, because there was one more, away from him. Shiron? Is that him?

"Not gonna say anything? Just gonna close your eyes? You really are a failure." Fawkes brandished his claws again, getting ready to attack.

At the same time, Nick sensed the distant aura was approaching, though it stopped every now and again.

"That poison's got ya real good, hasn't it?" Fawkes put his hands on his hips, grinning. "But alas, this is it!"

Nick noticed Fawkes was approaching him—and fast. Luckily, so was the other aura. And even better, the Sneasler didn't notice it either, distracted with his opponent.

At that moment, Shiron hit him. His fist was coated in a spinning cloak of water as he rammed it against Fawkes' stomach, going as deep as he could. In response, Fawkes screamed, before being launched all the way to the back of the graveyard.

"H-Hah. I-I'm sorry I'm late! I—"

"We don't have time for this, Shiron!" Rowan blurted out, still down. "Did you get the berries or not?!"

"S-Sorry, they were almost out of stock! I could only find one, and there's two of you, so I'll just split it in half!"

Rowan's eyes widened, and he groaned. "...The effect won't be strong. Give them all to Nick. I'm counting on you to finish this fight."

"A-Are you two… talking? I can't hear you that well. It's weird..." Nick was surprised by someone—presumably Shiron—shoving something in his mouth.

As soon as the sweet taste hit him, Nick chewed the berry, swallowing it down. "O-Okay, never do that again!"

"S-Sorry, Nick!"

His vision returned, and Nick saw his friend in front of him, confirming his suspicions. The rest of his senses were still returning, but he could see someone approaching from the other side.

"It's fine, I'll just… rest when this is done. Speaking of which, he's coming back."

"Noted!" Shiron clenched both of his fists. "But now what?!"

"Well, that was fuckin' lovely!" Fawkes groaned, rubbing a hand over his stomach, against the wet fur. "I knew I shouldn't have wasted all this time, yet here we are. Man, I'm dumb."

"I need you… I need you to distract him." Nick panted. His vision was still a little blurry, all things considered. But his aura senses were still good. "I'm gonna rescue the others."

"What're you two yappin' about?" Fawkes growled, ready to attack.

But so was Shiron. He touched the ground with a hand, mud gathering around his fist, before launching it like a projectile towards Fawkes. The Sneasler dodged—barely—by ducking under the attack.

Nick ran away during the commotion, which Fawkes noticed. "That damn mutt… I didn't think he'd pull somethin' like this."

He sped up, rushing towards Nick to hit him with a slash. In response, Nick's claws shimmered again, and he clashed against Fawkes'. The two grunted, before Fawkes pulled back.

"Never said I'd let ya save 'em." Fawkes flicked his hand, looking at them both. "And who's this Marshtomp? Last I checked, there wasn't any of 'em here."

"A friend." Shiron closed both of his fists showing them off to make himself look more… capable. "N-Now! I don't wanna fight you, but—"

"You talk like you've got a fightin' chance." Fawkes shrugged, before pointing a claw at Shiron. Beneath his fur, a few more purple spikes appeared, secreted by him. "Now, if you ain't important, I'll just knock ya out right here and now!"

Shiron braced himself, seeing the spikes fired at him. Using the same strategy as before, he grabbed the ground, turning the dirt into mud, before launching the projectiles towards the spikes, neutralizing them.

However, that left him open for an attack. Fawkes closed his hand, leaving one claw exposed, using it to puncture through Shiron right in his stomach, making him scream out, feeling the poison entering his body.

"I–I'm not… I'm not here to fight! J-Just let my friends go!"

"Useless!" Fawkes pulled his arm back, before preparing to puncture Shiron again.

Before he was hit by an attack. It felt like a wave of some sort, rushing through his fur and making Fawkes almost lose his balance.

"Oi!" A light blue wind had formed around Nick's paw, before it dissipated.

"A vacuum… how charming—"

Fawkes saw Nick. And Nick. And Nick again. A bunch of Riolu had encircled him, all carrying that same wind. If he didn't know any better, he'd be scared. Fawkes knew better, though.

"They're just afterimages," he scoffed. "Only one of them is real , and there's an easy way of figuring that out."

Shiron knew he could attack, and he probably should attack. But… Fawkes had turned his back on him, and attacking someone on the back was rude. Even if that someone was a criminal.

Why? Why isn't he paying attention to me? Is he really only focusing on Nick?!

Nick—all of him— aimed the vacuum towards Fawkes. "Well, yeah! But one of my attacks is real! Can you figure out which one it is?!"

And Nick… I lost count of how many afterimages there are. Is he planning on attacking me along with Fawkes? Unless…

Unless none of the attacks were real, and that was just a distraction. Fawkes didn't seem to notice that, but Shiron did.

He gathered water from the rain to coat it in the same "armor" as he did before. Cowardly or not, Shiron was given a chance to strike, and surely Nick was planning something.

"Well, here's how I'll figure it out!" Fawkes produced more spikes—way more than he needed.

Shiron couldn't allow it; he had to attack! With a roar, he punched Fawkes on the back, using all he had to land a strong hit, water armor spinning like a drill around his arm.

"H-Hiyah!"

The impact hit, making Fawkes squirm, then scream as he was launched face-first on the ground, coughing a bit. Meanwhile, Shiron recoiled, wincing in pain and stepping back.

"M-My arm…" A look at it revealed that there was more poison, though thankfully it didn't enter him.

"Ow, ow, that was annoying…" Fawkes grunted, standing up and catching his breath. "My back hurts, and I'm not even old!"

All of the afterimages had disappeared… Nick included—the real one. Noticing that, Fawkes turned around to look at Shiron.

"Hah, I have to give it to ya, kid. Ya tricked me!" Fawkes licked his lips, baring his fangs at Shiron. "Actually, you and the mutt did. He's probably off to save his friends and girlfriend."

"Yeah?! Well, I'm not letting you stop him!" Shiron shook his arm to let a bit of the poison fall. "I may not defeat you, but I can stall you!"

"Ya have guts, I have to admit." Fawkes shrugged. "But guts alone ain't gonna cut it."

He pointed a claw at Shiron. "So, fine! Ya got my attention! Stall me, kid!"

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

Nick stopped to track them again. He spent almost five minutes trying to get his senses to work, and once that was done, he saw the auras nearby. Not clearly enough to distinguish them, but oh well.

He first stopped at the tombstone on his right. Nick peeked at it; there was no name, no year of birth or death. And the dirt next to it looked like it had been messed with.

"I dunno which one of you guys is around, but I—"

"Mmmmf!"

All he heard was a muffled scream from underneath the soil. Nick sighed, making his claws shimmer before he started digging. Not as effective as he'd like, but it'd have to do.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!"

As Nick continued digging and removing the dirt, he could make out faint details about the coffin. Black and cheap, not sturdy at all.

"Alright, I'm gonna cut it with my claws, okay? Please try not to move!"

"Mmmmf!"

With a sigh, Nick sunk his claws deep in the wood, lowering his paw and opening a bigger hole on the coffin, until he could pull it apart with both paws.

Inside of it was Liz, barely moving. She locked eyes with Nick, and hers were widened as they could get.

"You took far too long!"

"C-Can you move?!" Nick asked, glancing at her and at the bracelet wrapped around her arm. "Did he—"

"Yes, my abilities and moves are nullified! Otherwise I would have broken out already!"

"...Y'know, I'm considering letting you stay there." Nick rolled his eyes before grabbing Liz by her flower, pulling her up.

As expected of someone that spent too much time underground, Liz almost stumbled and lost her balance. Nick grabbed her other flower, keeping her steady.

"I have a lot of questions," Liz finally said. "...However, I am well aware this is not the time to ask them."

"Definitely not. The others are around here! Terry and Audrey… I need to find them."

"Naturally." Liz looked around. "I assume you have a way of finding them?"

"Third tombstone on your right, fourth on my left." Nick nodded. "...We'll divide and conquer."

"Hmph.A sound strategy."

The two went their separate ways. Just like before, Nick clawed his way through the dirt and through the coffin, preparing to open it. He heard a scream inside, which made him go through this slowly.

Before he saw an eye, the dirt around him moved, starting to go inside the coffin.

"H-Hold on!"

Nick reached his arm as fast as he could, getting inside the dirt—and the coffin. He felt someone grab his paw, before he recognized that soft fur brushing against his own.

"A-Audrey!"

Determined to get her out, Nick pulled as hard as he could, using both arms to make it easier on him.

Just like he thought, it was Audrey, who was so heavy that, once he pulled her out, made him fall along with her.

"G-Gah! S-Sorry, I didn't—"

"N-Nick…" Audrey raised her head to look at him, panting. "I… I almost didn't make it, but I knew… I knew you'd come and save me…"

"Of course I would!"

Not letting Audrey say anything else, Nick wrapped his arms around her body, hugging her as tight as he could. His own shivered, trembling.

How close was Nick to losing her? Nick's mind raced with the gravity of the situation. Despite how much her embrace calmed him down, the reality was that she was almost buried alive. The mental image of Audrey trapped, gasping for air made him squirm.

Even if she was safe in his arms, shaking the sense of helplessness was proving to be hard for Nick. All because of Fawkes. Nick and Audrey were targeted because of him, and the realization weighed down onthe Riolu.

At the same time, Nick could now hear her breaths on his stomach, along with his own. He felt her soft fur against his, and the look in her eyes made him stop panicking so much.

"I think… I'm still a little hurt. My body's still numb. That poison was… so strong…" Audrey muttered, hugging Nick closely. "T-Thank you for saving me."

"I'm going to stop him." Nick kissed the top of her head. "But I don't want to risk you getting hurt again. I want you to go with Liz to the—"

"No."

She moved her paws to touch his face. "I'm fine, I'll be there for you. I might not be able to fight much, but I'll help you morally."

"...Thanks, Audrey." Nick kissed her head again, standing up.

Just in time to see Liz helping Terry up. "Nick, I… I wish to take Terry to the hospital. Can you handle this on your own?"

"S-Sorry, Nick! I can hardly stand. I… I didn't know that poison would be this… vile."

Something's wrong, yeah. I didn't hear about such a debilitating poison… To that, Nick shook his head. "Nah, I'm not alone."

…It sounded a lot cooler in his head, but whatever. He saved her. Nick saved her, his friends, and now he was going to defeat Fawkes, somehow. Would they be proud of him? His parents.

Maybe not, when he couldn't even get the hang of that stupid move. The energy always flowed out. Nick got upset when Fawkes demonstrated an immense prowess at using his poison, able to make the energy flow…

Like the rain flowed from the sky. His eyes widened.

"I'm with you until the end of the line." Audrey elected to stay in his arms. At least, it felt comfortable.

Nick didn't reply to that. He seemed distant, looking up at the sky. No doubt, his mind was full. Audrey opened her mouth to say, but the words failed her.

"...Heh. I think I figured it out."

"What?" Audrey's ears twitched, and she tilted her head. "...Figured what out?"

"I'll let you know on the way there!"

Nick grinned; he had a job to do.

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

Shiron grabbed Fawkes' arm before he could puncture him again, using two of his hands to do so.

"G-Grah, you imbecile! Let me go!" Fawkes tried to pull his arm back, but as he found out, Shiron had a much tighter grip than he let on. The more he tried to move, the more it hurt.

"You told me to stall you… and that's exactly what I intend on doing!" Shiron grasped him tighter, before swinging both arms to toss Fawkes as far away from him as he could.

It made him roll on the ground scraping his fur against it, until the point where Fawkes sunk all his claws on the dirt to stop himself from falling further.

However, Shiron himself wasn't doing all that good. More poison got to his arms, and he was hurting, trying to move them. He stood next to Rowan, both to protect him, and to ask a few questions.

"M-Mister Rowan, is this poison lethal?!"

"I'm… I'm not sure, but I also didn't think it would make me this numb. My senses…" Rowan groaned. Something wasn't right with it. "I'm sure he wasn't that toxic before…"

"I don't like it either, but I need to keep it together, at least until Nick arrives." Shiron swung his arms again, and a few more drops of the poison fell. "I'm starting to feel numb…"

It took him a bit of effort to move them, which said something. Still, Shiron didn't intend on giving up. Not that easily, anyway.

"Hah… I'm startin' to think you're stronger than you look." Fawkes got down on all fours, cracking his neck. "Maybe I gotta take this more seriously."

The Sneasler was about to pounce, when he heard something. On his side, Nick came walking, holding Audrey in his arms.

"Ah… I'm impressed ya found her."

Not one to pass up the opportunity, Fawkes pounced on them, ready to cut through their flesh with his claws. Unfortunately, when he hit them, the two simply dissipated into the air.

"...Another afterimage?!"

"I'm tired of you." The real Nick was now close to Shiron, still holding Audrey. He gently put her down next to Rowan, before glancing at his friend. "Thanks for holding him back."

"Nick! I know you got this! Whatever you figured out, do it! I believe in you!" Audrey screamed at the top of her lungs… which did make her cough, but the message was delivered.

"Hah! I just need to poison all of you, then I'll be free to take that geezer of a human to those guys…" Fawkes stood somewhere between two legs and four, preparing his stance.

Pointed spikes coated all of his claws, and he grinned like a maniac, before he broke into a sprint, leaving a dusty trail behind him.

"Uh, Nick… he's coming after us. Niiiick!"

Nick had a grin on his face. "I'm sending him right back to you, and then, you do the same!"

"H-Huh?!"

Before Shiron had any more time to reply, he saw Nick rushing, also leaving a trail of dust behind him.

His claws shimmered, and he clashed against Fawkes… using only one of his paws. The other one had light blue wind circling it, and he aimed at Fawkes' ribs.

"What in the world are you doing?!"

"Finishing you off!"

Nick fired the vacuum at him, and Fawkes ended up being tossed towards Shiron.

"O-Oh, that's what he meant—" Shiron closed a fist, wrapping water around it again. "H-Here it comes, Nick!"

Once more, Audrey shouted. "You got this, flow the energy! Let it flow without any resistance!"

Shiron slammed his fist into Fawkes, making the Sneasler scream as he was launched towards Nick. He turned his body around, sinking both claws to slow down until he stopped, right in front of that damn mutt.

It was exactly what Nick wanted out of the situation. He put a palm forward, letting out a deep breath. Orange energy circled his arm, moving from it to the end of his paw.

"What are you planning now?!" Fawkes snarled. "I'm not goin' to lose! There's too much at stake here!"

Once again he ran, brandishing his claws. He was closing in on Nick, who remained calm. More energy flowed, right as Fawkes made contact with him, trying to cut him with his claws.

"...I'm done with you."

Nick released the energy, thrusting his palm forward, right on Fawkes' stomach. Unlike his previous attempts, this time, there was no explosion, no knockback. His palm forced the energy out, and it landed right on Fawkes.

"G-GRAAAAAH!"

The Sneasler screamed as he felt the power of Nick's Force Palm. That energy ran through his entire body, spreading from across his stomach, through all of his nerves. It felt like electricity—paralyzing him from inside out.

And then he fell on the ground, facing the sky. Fawkes found himself unable to move, unable to escape… completely paralyzed.

Nick grunted, falling to his knees and smelling something burning. A glance at his paw revealed that it was just that; his own body was burning from the attack.

But… it was over. He won, just like he wanted. "...I need… I need to bring them all to the hospital."

"You're in luck, buddy. I can carry mister Rowan, you… handle Fawkes." Shiron panted, sighing in relief and walking towards Rowan, helping him up.

"I'm… I should be fine, walking." Audrey nodded. She was tired—exhausted, but it'd have to do.

"R-Right, yeah, yeah. I'll do that." Nick rubbed his forehead.

"Hah… I gotta admit, ya got me good, mutt," Fawkes said. Once again he tried to move, but whatever paralysis he suffered, it was strong. "Well, guess I'll be back to prison."

"Silvergate. You're going there," Nick said with a shrug, grabbing Fawkes by his feet.

Hearing that name made Fawkes' heart skip a beat, and he immediately tried to move. "S-Silvergate? Wait, wait, I don't deserve that shit! Ya hear what they do to prisoners there?! I'd be better off dead!"

"Whatever you say, bud. It's just a rumor." Nick punched him in the head, and Fawkes stopped; knocked out cold.

Audrey waited for Nick to start walking before she followed him, keeping close enough to nuzzle his legs. "I knew you had it in you… I never doubted you, not for one second!"

"If at first you don't succeed, try and try again." Nick agreed, glancing back. "Took me long enough to get that figured out. I mean, I'm still burning, but I can actually use that attack."

"Mhm!" Audrey chirped as they walked out of the graveyard, towards the hospital.

Once they passed the gate, Nick glanced back another time, sighing. Mom, dad, thanks. I couldn't have done it without you.

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

It had been a couple of days since that incident, and Nick still had to organize his room. Yes, everything broken had been replaced, but it was still a bit of a mess.

Even Audrey wasn't too interested in it, sitting as she watched him lift a closet up, all by himself.

"Y'know, this wasn't my idea of a date. Especially considering I got poisoned."

"Well, Gramps told me to clean up, so that's what I'm doing." Nick backed off, panting. His right paw was bandaged to help with the burns, but it didn't hurt that much.

"I'm… I'm sorry I didn't save you earlier." Nick looked at her and his ears lowered. "I should've been—"

"Drop it, Nick!" Audrey strolled towards him, standing up on her hind legs and using the two frontal paws to touch his cheeks. "You did the best you could, and honestly, it was great. I'm a bit bummed I couldn't do more, but it's fine. We're all fine."

"I-I guess… I guess I am a bit better now. Just need to practice this move so I won't, you know, blow up. Again." Nick forced a smile that almost looked genuine. "But now I'm wondering… who exactly broke Fawkes out of prison?"

Audrey tilted her head, sitting on all fours again. "He didn't answer your grandpa?"

"Not a single thing, I'm afraid." Nick let out a long sigh. "...Well, it's all in the past now, I guess. We should just enjoy things."

"I guess you're right. Which means you should finish organizing this room! I wanna go out and drink berry juice!" Audrey stuck her tongue out to tease him. "Oooor, maybe I should go get some and drink it while you have to work~"

Nick felt his heart sting from that alone, groaning. "Why, you're so evil sometimes…"

"Well, I am a Zorua!"

"Heh, that you are." Nick moved next to the door, grabbing a hammer and some nails. "I decided to put the painting on the wall, right on top of my bed. That makes it feel like they're watching me. If that makes sense."

"Hmmm, you have a point. Now why don't you do that… and I'll grab the juice, but for both of us."

Nick's ears twitched. "Oh, I'd love that! You might just make me excited to work on this!"

Relax. Nick should relax. The past few days had been hectic for him, but… things should be fine. They still had work to do regarding those Cracks, investigating Zero, and all that. At least, Nick felt better about it.

Though… a part of him wondered what would happen to Fawkes, if what he said about the prison was true, and how he got stronger—according to his grandpa, anyway.

"Maybe I shouldn't be thinking too hard about it…"

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

Rowan was scheduled to see Fawkes being transported out of the town, and he wasn't about to miss it. In front of him, the Sneasler was cuffed with a nullifying looplet, and chained on his legs. There was also a carriage nearby, with a Quagsire and a Perrserker as the guards, and a Rapidash as the driver.

"I hope the time you spend there will make you reflect on what you did."

"Tch, shut up, geezer. You and that friend of yours," Fawkes hissed, glancing back.

At first, Rowan didn't understand, but a look to his side revealed a Houndoom sitting next to him.

"Ivan… I have to thank you for arranging this transport."

The Houndoom barked in response. "It was hardly a problem. And besides, I had to see for myself if this was the Pokémon responsible."

"Hmph! Screw all of you!" Fawkes snarled, before being pushed forward by one of the guards, who led him to the carriage. "I'll find a way outta the cell! Just wait!"

Rowan didn't even bother seeing him off, turning his back with Ivan. The Sneasler's fruitless struggle wasn't worth paying any attention to.

As for Fawkes, he entered the carriage—against his own will, of course—and the vehicle started to travel.

For a long while, all Fawkes could do was stare out the carriage window, looking at the passing trees while the Rapidash followed at a reasonable pace.

Those guys are gonna kill me. If not the ones that hired me, those at Silvergate will… I'm so dead.

At some point, the carriage suddenly halted, and Fawkes almost fell out of the seat. However, the guard next to him stopped that.

"W-What is this?!"

"Someone wishes to see you," was all the Perrserker said, opening the door and walking out of the way.

Fawkes felt his body freezing up in place as he watched who walked in. Or rather, slithered in. An Arbok had entered the inside, before sitting in the seat opposite of Fawkes, looking at him. He wore glasses, which he had to adjust with his tail.

"Y-You! You're from—"

"Yes, I'm well aware of my organization. You know, I was really hoping you'd find another human for us… the human agent Zero talked so much about. I wanted to see them." The Arbok hissed, baring his fangs at him. "What a shame. We even empowered you with the Crack,yet you proved unreliable."

"O-Oh, c'mon! I was just goin' to a prison! I'm sure I'll be in a terrible spot there, so ya don't need to kill me or anything!"

To that, the Arbok laughed, shaking his head. "Ah, that is where you're wrong. I own that prison, and I'm sure I can extract more potential out of you once we reach it. Or would you rather die?"

A drop of sweat fell from Fawkes' head. "There ain't no way I wanna die!"

Arbok then got out of the chair, getting dangerously close to Fawkes. "My superiors want a soldier, mister Fawkes. You can choose to back off from this deal, however… I'm not sure that would be in your best interests."

There was no option for him. Fawkes gulped, looking down. If he got stronger through this deal, then it'd be worth it.

"I-I'm in."

Suddenly, Arbok smiled. It came off as terrifying due to how large his fangs were. "Ah, how delightful! You made the right decision, mister Fawkes. If you'll excuse me, I must go back to the base. This carriage will take you there."

He didn't know what was in store for him, but Fawkes… almost felt excited to find out.