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PART VI

In League with the Smaugus

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Early the next morning, George and Blitzer were called to Artanouk’s chamber. Breakfast hadn’t finished for more than five minutes when it happened, leaving George wondering what the hurry was all about. Couldn’t have been an emergency, the mission had been successful in the end, hadn’t it?

The same Carkol who took them to Artanouk the first time was waiting for them. He’d gotten faster than last time. Or more reckless, rather, given how tight he was taking the turns. George stumbled over his feet in a daze when he got off the track.

‘Egh… it’s like everyone’s thinking the world’s ending in an hour or something. Has no one ever heard of safety around here?’

Up they went to the chamber. Behind the door and a wave of incense was Artanouk, unsurprisingly, as well as some familiar faces: Skal, Terez, Allora… Porov was absent. Blitzer winced. For a moment, it had been easy to forget. But reality had a habit of waking people from their sleep.

“Well, well,” the Empoleon began as the Dewott and the Charmeleon approached. “So the stories are true… you have evolved.”

George brushed a speck of dirt off his face, before nodding. “Oh yes. If it’s a surprise to you, you wouldn’t believe how surprised I was.”

Artanouk laughed. “Hahaha, a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one. All Pokemon can only give encouragement to their brethren when they evolve. We will certainly look at your future with great interest.” He cleared his throat. “But I am getting off topic here, aren’t I? You were not summoned here to talk about evolution, nor how you have been. No, I would like to congratulate you on a mission well done. Quite frankly, you have exceeded expectations.”

Though Artanouk and the mentors were beaming with pride, the same couldn’t be said for George, nor Blitzer. Blitzer especially, given the frown, his dangling limbs and his tail laying flat on the ground, the fire flickering like an ember.

“What’s with the long face?” Allora asked, tilting her head. Blitzer sighed.

“I’d ask why you’re all happy when Porov’s gone. He…” the Charmeleon sighed, unable to bring himself to finish his sentence.

“He gave his all for the cause, lad,” Skal filled in. “Told ye before, but if Porov got the chance to say somethin’ here, he wouldn’t be sad. Or angry. Nothin’ like that. He’d be happy one happy man. Happy to know the rest of us made it outta there, and that he didn’t just sacrifice himself in vain. It’s how he wanted to go out, ya hear?”

Artanouk nodded. “Indeed Many before Porov have lost their lives in far more unfortunate circumstances, and it breaks my heart. But this time, the loss, heavy as they might be, has done little to take away from the victory you brought home.”

He pulled a flipper out from behind his back, presenting a case to his two guests. Inside of the case were the two pieces of the Azure Flute, reunited as one. The flute’s blue glory shone brilliantly in the candlelight, its power radiant and observable from afar. Just one piece was missing.

“The last thing the Crest wanted was for that piece to fall into our claws. They have been trying for years to convince the locals to hand it over to them, with no success. For deep down, the people of the Ruby Province know better than to let the small minded despots have access to this. They know better than that.”

At that moment, Skal’s growly chuckles filled the chamber.

“Heheheh… ain’t gonna lie, I’ve been waitin’ for this moment for a long, long time, ye have no idea, kids. I ain’t seen my country this… free since I was a wee lil’ Aron.”

George tapped his foot, looking back and forth between Skal and Artanouk. “Listen, that’s… great and all that you feel that way, but I don’t care for how people feel. I’ve seen a lot of people get caught, locked up, or killed in the Ruby Province. From the foothills all the way to the temple. Was it really worth all that?”

“Like I said, ‘s what they always wanted,” Skal said. George frowned.

“You don’t know that. And what if there was a way to have prevented all that from happening? What if we got to the flute without anyone needing to suffer?”

Skal raised his claw. “Oi, kid. Have a ‘lil faith here, yeh? If there was a better way, we’d have taken it. Ye can’t always get what ye want.” The sharp look in his eyes intensified. “Believe me, kid.”

Artanouk smiled again, and gestured for everyone to calm down with a few waves of his flipper. His eyes were on Blitzer, oddly enough. The Charmeleon still seemed on the verge of tears.

“Indeed, indeed. There has been a misunderstanding here, but fret not. You may not believe Skal when he says that, George, but remember: People aren’t always who they seem to be.”

Ultimately, George groaned. “...Right.” ‘Ugh. It sucks being one against four. Blitzer’s not gonna help me out here, is he. He needs to get his emotions under control.’

Terez suddenly leaned up to Artanouk’s head, and whispered something in his ear. The Empoleon nodded along.

“Right, right… We best get a move on. Let us leave the Ruby Hills in peace. You will receive your payment in due time. Let us discuss your next assignment.”

“The next piece?” Blitzer suddenly chirped, before George had the chance to even blink. ‘Right. What he said. Didn’t even need to think about it… guess it helps him forget about how he feels, doesn’t it?’

“Indeed,” Artanouk said. “The next piece of the Azure Flute. The final piece of the flute, as a matter of fact. You are tasked with retrieving it… however, this will be far more complicated. Terez, if you will.”

The Gardevoir’s footfalls echoed as she took a few steps in front of Artanouk. “Allow me to explain this in simple terms. This piece is still in the hands of the Crest. It lies in the land of Whitiara, in the far north of Eravate. A frigid land, ruled over by an iron fist… literally. The local Crest puppet here is named Dritch, a Metagross who was a former noble during better times. She stabbed us all in the back.”

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George blinked a few times. “Former noble? But she’s still in charge.” ‘And… do sentient machines even have a gender they identify with?’

“That’s what she said, Georgie,” Allora piped up, slapping her flippers together. “She may be in charge now, but there’s nothing noble about it. The fact that it’s taken us this long to deal with her is a disgrace. Too many other goons to take care off.”

George’s feet slid back a step. “Right.” ‘God almighty, Allora’s never been this upset about anything. What’s going on here?’

Allora then took a deep breath through her nose, and tapped herself on the side of her head with a flipper. A smile popped up on her face like a mushroom after rain. “Anyway! Don’t mind me, gettin’ all peeved here. Do continue, Terez.”

Terez’s attention awkwardly lingered with the Carracosta for a moment, before she nodded. “Right. Most of what needs to be said on Dritch and her ironfisted governance has been said. The nuances of this will come in due time. But there is another matter about Whitiara that must be addressed.” She cleared her throat. “Allora?”

All eyes were on the Carracosta, who suddenly composed herself in a smug manner.

“Well, well… You’ve all heard of the Smaugus before, correct?”

Everyone in the room that wasn’t named George or Blitzer nodded. The latter put a claw up to his chin. “Uhh… maybe I have, maybe I don’t? My parents might’ve mentioned it once, or was it one of you? Can’t remember.”

George folded his arms, brow furrowed. “No. Never heard of them before.” ’And stop looking at me like I’m supposed to know who they are.’

Allora chuckled while looking at the confusion in front of her. “Well then, ain’t nothing quite like a clean slate to get started, no? Get yourselves ready, because this is a big deal.” She took a deep breath. Blitzer’s feet shifted as he looked around, seemingly searching for his courage.

“Aren’t the Smaugus some kind of dragon clan?”

“...Used to be!” Allora said. “That’s a long time ago, though. Any other questions?”

Blitzer shook his head; George did the same. “No. Maybe after you tell who they are,” the human turned Dewott said. For a moment, he felt like he was human again… except with just his underwear on. His face soured.

‘Egh… bad, no. Bad memory. Go away. No more.’

Allora smacked herself on the chest. “Well then… I’ve got a surprise for you, actually! I’m not just a member of the Smaugus myself, I’m married to the man in charge! Ha!”

George didn’t react with much more than a sideways glance towards Blitzer, who had raised an eyebrow. Unwittingly, he followed in his footsteps.

“Really?” Blitzer asked.

“Oh yes!” Allora said. “My husband’s the one and only Chronos. And guess what, Blitzer? He’s a Charizard!”

Blitzer’s eyes went wide open. “Really?!” he said, much to the amusement of everyone in the room that wasn’t George. He was far more captivated by the sound of Blitzer’s heart beating against his chest, folding his arms as the sound reverberated throughout the chamber.

‘Man, it’s like he just heard where his father was. He wants to learn, I guess, but is it normal to get all uppity about it? Wouldn’t have changed much for me if he turned out to be a Samurott. Would it? Not sure…’

“You heard me right,” continued Allora. “Now I could regale you for hours about how he’s the love of my life, but that’s not important. The key things to know is that he’s walking a thin line. For one, us being married is entirely private. No one else in the Smaugus Clan knows about it. If the Crest finds out the Smaugus’ leader is married to someone big in the Alliance like me, everyone in the Smagus is done for. Chronos knows this better than anyone. He’s been biding his time for the right moment, passively flowing away from what the Crest wants.”

George shook his head. “That doesn’t sound right.”

Allora tilted her head. “What do you mean, Georgie?”

A sigh came out of the Dewott’s throat. “What I mean is the whole ‘thin line’ part. Wouldn’t the Crest figure it out, anyway? And what’s he even doing? Is he against the Crest or passive about it-”

Allora cut George off with a deep, tired groan. George bit down on his lip. ‘Uh, too far?’

“You remind me of Artanouk at times, you know. Always trying to make sure things are gonna be alright… kind of a pain at times, hah.” The tiredness on her face melted into a goofy smile. “But look. My hubby’s no slouch. Of course he’s against the Crest! But Dritch’s forces would overwhelm us quickly if they attacked. So he’s been carefully preparing for the moment. When that day comes. The Smaugus are training for it.”

It didn’t take long for George’s desire to protest to rush back into his mind. Something wasn’t adding up. “Yeah? What is this Smaugus, even? You still haven’t told me.”

“I was getting to that,” Allora said. “The clan began long ago, and has lived in Whitiara for all that time. It started as only dragons, but all those worthy are free to join us now. Being one of the Smaugus isn’t a title. It’s a way of life. One where hard work, duty, loyalty, resilience, strength and siblinghood are seen as paramount! We live for each other, we die for each other. And every day is spent working towards a greater good.”

She spoke with a rosy, longing tone. George nodded along. It must’ve been some time since she was last home. But the questions didn’t stop coming.

“What is that greater good, even? The way you describe it… not going to lie, it sounds kind of like a cult.”

Terez winced when he said that, seemingly embarrassed. Allora didn’t mind it so much, though. She wasn’t smiling, but she wasn’t scowling, either.

“You wouldn’t be the first one to say that. And I’ll admit, we are a weird bunch compared to most of Eravate. But here’s the catch. Whitiara is a harsh, harsh land. One bad day can forspell your doom, the frigid wastes your icy tomb. Many Pokemon died from the cold, or on the treacherous slopes of Mount Tenebrous. It’s all a bit much to take in, but once you arrive there, you will understand exactly what I mean. You will see why an iron bond is required.” Allora tilted her head up. “Indeed you will.”

George hummed in affirmative. ‘Right…’

“Do we have to join, too?” Blitzer asked. Allora shook her head, chuckling all the while.

“Oh, we’ll ask you to respect the code. But joining? I mean, if you really want to, sure, but being in the Alliance is perfectly fine.” She sneered at Blitzer as she spoke. George imagined that their chance of actually passing whatever tests they’d cook up was minimal. Even if they worked together for all of it.

‘Not like I want to join in, anyway. All those years of living like that and no one thought to move somewhere else? Someplace easier?’ “Alright. Still have some questions, but-”

“Allow me to wrap things,” Artanouk cut in, leaving whatever George wanted to say in the mud. “Whether or not you believe in what the Smaugus uphold is none of my concern. It would be peculiar for two unevolved boys to be let in, but I digress. The Alliance and the Smaugus must unite. Break the chains. Achieve something greater we’ve been striving towards for centuries. When you defeat the forces of Dritch, and liberate the last piece of the flute, they will be ready.” The Empoleon tilted his head up. “And it will be a moment of true glory, wouldn’t it be?”

“Don’t even need to say it. I get excited just thinking about it,” Allora said. Artanouk hadn’t called her name, and was satisfied with the answer regardless.

“Excellent. Anyway, my friends. I believe it is time we wrap this up, no? We all have plans to make, matters to attend to. Isn’t that right, Skal?”

“Yeh,” the Aggron growled. “Gotta help Venusa with the fallout from us gettin’ that flute piece back. Show ‘em we mean business.”

Artanouk hurried his way through everyone’s next mission. Allora was unsurprisingly in charge over in Whitiara, though she wasn’t going to be mentoring George. That was Terez’ role. The Gardevoir was looking nervously towards George as Artanoul explained: Fidgeting around with her fingers, unable to keep said fingers away from her face. It’s as if she were afraid of something.

“Alright. Time to get going,” Artanouk said.

“Wait wait wait!” Blitzer said, one claw raised in the air. He looked like a schoolboy. “When are we going up north? You never told us.”

Artanouk nudged Allora, who shrugged. “I dunno? We’re not leaving anything to chance.”

“Chance?” Blitzer asked. Allora let out a long, drawn out sigh.

“I’m sorry, but… Whitiara is under military domination. No, not occupation, domination. We need to move you into the Smaugus’ main stronghold under cover, alright? If you’re discovered on your way in, you won’t stand a chance. No one does, but you? They’re not going to hold. Don’t worry about it though, we’ve got you covered.”

Blitzer gulped in response. “O-okay…”

“I am certain there is plenty for you to do in those few weeks of downtime, though!” Artanouk said with a smile. “In any case, I wish the both of you good luck when the time is right. And George? Remember one thing.”

George raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”

Artanouk leaned towards him. “People aren’t always who they seem to be.”

George clicked his tongue. “That’s the same thing you said last time.”

“Oh yes. But it… is a piece of advice I am fond of. That is all.”

The meeting came to a close, with Artanouk dismissing the mentors and the boys. He claimed to have an important meeting with his generals, and the masked guards weren’t keen on any stragglers eavesdropping. Once again, the fallen prince was left alone in his chamber, waiting for the next discussion. George had a blank stare on the way back to his quarters thinking about it.

‘For a leader, he doesn’t lead a whole lot, does he. And what’s with that saying?’

Whatever Artanouk’s intentions were, George had enough else on his plate to worry about. Terez and Allora weren’t keen to reveal much, but with the glimpses they’ve let show, Whitiara was going to make the Ruby Hills look like a walk in the park.