#guardiansoftwilight

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The Delphox merely shakes her head, with a soft breath through her nose she takes a bold step towards me. “We will do no such thing.” She says firmly, her face unwavering.

“Then…” I hiss, loading a cannonball with a loud clack. “You shall suffer the same fate as the rest of them.”

The Pokemon before me draw their weapons and channel their power, preparing for the inevitable conflict.

But who are they to think that they can stand in my way? I have already killed so many other Pokemon, they are no different.

They...will fucking die like the rest.

“Wait.” The black and gray Delphox speaks again, her emerald green eyes shining in the torchlight. She extends a hand out to her companions, gesturing for them to back away. “I will handle this.”

The look of conflict in their eyes is almost as laughable as the fact that she thinks that she can take me on her own. The bitch is a Delphox, she can’t do shit to me. Fire and electricity washed harmlessly over my form, psychic power can’t even get a hold of me.

I will fucking crush her for thinking otherwise.

Her companions do as she urges, reluctantly backing away.

Ohhh there’s many ways I can end this. I could just shoot her with the cannonball I have loaded, but...it wouldn’t be as satisfying.

No...

I need to crush her, to have my fist cave in her skull and flatten her into nothing but paste and sharded bones.

I charge.

My vision is a blur, the sheer red from the burning inferno inside me fueling my actions. A loud roaring sound fills the air, and it only took me a moment to realize that this roar is coming from me. I raise my fist into the air before bringing it down upon her form, intending to brutally kill her just as I have killed all the others.

Yet the bitch had the audacity to not accept her fate. Instead she leaps to the side, causing my punch to instead strike the ground, instantly sending debris everywhere as a new crater is formed in the stone.

Upon landing, she lowers her form close to the ground and releases her staff, causing the wood to softly clatter onto the ground. Upon doing so, she stands back up and looks at me calmly. “There is no need to fight.” She says softly.

“Like you fucking have a choice!” I roar. Fuck the most satisfying way to kill, now I want her dead.

In one swift motion I aim my cannon and fire, launching the cannonball straight at her form with a loud clack. Yet again she dodges, this time by throwing herself to the ground, allowing the cannonball to sail over her form and crash into the distant wall of the cavern.

At the edge of my vision I see the other Pokemon beginning to approach me. “Stay back!” The Delphox shouts. “Do not interfere!”

Who does this fucking bitch think she’s doing?! Is she trying to set a message? To show that she can win while doing absolutely nothing?!

Who the fuck does she think she is?

Does she even REALIZE the shit I went through?

I suffered greatly at the hands of fucking Pokemon. They took away EVERYTHING that I am, leaving me in this fucking thing. This isn’t my original body anymore.

Realization is starting to dig its claws into my mind, the shock of all that has happened fading, leaving nothing but despair.

I shove it all back and lock it into a cage, allowing the inferno fueled by hate to contain it.

With a growl I start approaching the Delphox.

She sits up before resting her hands on her dress, her eyes possessing a look that I...can’t figure out.

As I get closer, she speaks up.

“What is your name?”

The words cause my rage to freeze, the desire to murder her being halted due to the sheer confusion I’m feeling.

Did...she seriously just ask me for me name? I’m... I’m trying to fucking kill her!

Fucking Pokemon, not realizing shit even when it’s directly in their face. They are so self-absorbed in their own sense of superiority that they overlook everything that isn’t about them.

They overlook the fact that everything they have came from Humans. They overlook the fact that we made guns as a way to compensate for what we lack. They overlook the fact that we made many things just so we’re not left in the dust.

Pokemon have it all. Strength, speed, stamina, durability, supernatural powers... If a Human were to fight a Pokemon, nearly every case would end with the Human severally beaten or even killed.

And this...fucking Delphox is no different. She is so egotistical that she thinks that she can just choose not to fight?!

It is about fucking time that Pokemon are shown that they’re not at the top anymore. By their own fucking volition they gave a Human the tools to fight them. I am a fucking Pokemon killing machine. Hell, seeing how these ruins were? I wouldn’t be fucking surprised if the people here made this thing SPECIFICALLY to fight and kill Pokemon.

If that’s the case? I intend to put it to full fucking use. My life is gone, but at least I get to avenge what I lost as well as every other Human who suffered at the hands of these freaks.

Upon reaching the Delphox I grab her, my hand easily being large enough to engulf her upper-torso as well as her neck. I effortlessly lift her up to my face, my glowing red eyes growing ever brighter.

“You don’t fucking deserve to know my name.” I hiss at her.

She’s completely at my mercy now. All it takes is one squeeze and she’ll pop like a grape, just like that fucking Gothitelle.

Yet for some fucking reason, she’s still just as calm as she was earlier.

And...it’s...fucking infuriating me to no end.

“I will not ask for it then.” She responds to me, her voice still as soft as it was earlier. Her eyes though still contain that same look as it did, and I still can’t fucking understand what it means.

Her voice becomes even softer. “I will never say that I will know what you’ve through. However I do understand that you have experienced pain and suffering like none other... It is unforgivable what they’ve done to you...”

She closes her eyes. “The damage that’s been done can never be healed, but...at least try to let us make up for what they have done to you, even if it won’t make everything right.” She lets out a breath. “It’s the least we can do.”

I know that look now.

Remorse.

She’s not looking at me with pity or conceit, she’s not trying to fight me because she thinks she’s above me. She...

...

Fuck this.

Fuck Pokemon.

Fuck...everything.

I want to kill her so, so bad. I want to crush her body with my hand and let her crumple into nothing but a pile of flesh and blood. I want her to die. I want her to fucking die!

But now I can’t, because I’d feel fucking GUILTY for doing it.

With a loud growl I release her from my grip, letting her form drop to the ground.

Why did all of this happen to me? What did I possibly do to deserve all of this?! Did I unwittingly do something that turned the whole universe against me? To make me experience pain, hopelessness, and then fucking take away everything that made me Human?

I thought that I was able to get even, to get some satisfaction in killing the ones who did this to me.

But now...? I can’t even finish it, because I’d feel fucking GUILTY.

The universe hates me, because it won’t even let me have that satisfaction.

What is there for me to even do now? I can’t go back to Progria because people will see me as some sort of Pokemon at best, or a dangerous threat at worst. I can’t stay in Evolutia, since I have nothing here to call my own, not including the fact that I fucking hate Pokemon.

So that’s it, huh? To just sit here and do nothing? To see if my body is capable of breaking down? Or will the universe not even let me have that, and I’d be forced to destroy myself until I’m guaranteed a safe passing?

For all I know I might just instead destroy my form enough to not be able to move anymore, yet I’d still be conscious, left to sit in a dark void for the rest of my life.

My...

My life is a living hell.

...

The Delphox is sitting up at this point, looking at me silently as my mind sinks deeper and deeper into a very dark place.

Yet...despite it all, one thing she said manages to prevent me from fulling falling in

“How can you help me?” I finally ask her, bitterness tainting my every word.

“We can give you a place to stay.” She answers immediately. “What you do there however is entirely up to you.”

If my face were capable of movement, I’d be narrowing my eyes. And yet despite what may be my better judgement, another question seeps out.

“What is it you fucking Pokemon do?”

For her credit, she looks completely unphased. “We protect others.” She responds calmly. “We are known as the Guardians of Twilight, a guild who fights dangerous threats to society and protect those who are incapable of protecting themselves.” She bows her head again. “However we don’t intend to push this onto you. If you so desire, you can stay with us until you find your way again.”

Find my way? Find my way?!

There is no direction I can take anymore. There’s no place for me in fucking society. How the fuck does she think that I’d be able to find some purpose for myself?!

Hell, seeing how I am right now? I doubt I can even fucking eat or drink anymore, so what purpose is there even for me?!

...

Yet...

She says they fight shit?

...

My body is a murder machine. After seeing how easily I killed so many Pokemon, I could probably just use it to kill things. I mean, what other purpose is there? It’s not like I can fucking paint with this shit.

...

To fight to protect...?

...

It’s not like I have anything left.

Fucking...Pokemon...

...

With the red glow in my eyes disappearing entirely, I finally speak again.

“...My name...

...is Asmund.”

The faintest of smiles form on her lips. “Greetings, Asmund. I am known as Nightshade, however...” She stands up, bowing to me. “...you may call me Jezebel.”

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“Asmund?”

The voice breaks me from my thoughts, making me realize that I’m just staring into space. My body is still standing in the middle of this hallway of the GoT HQ, effectively creating a minor roadblock to all Pokemon trying to pass through.

I turn my gaze to the speaker, only to notice that it’s no other than Jezebel.

The Delphox looks slightly disheveled, her hair sticking in various directions despite the clear effort in trying to make it look decent. Her eyes are baggy and bloodshot, her form slightly sagging due to the result of clear sleep deprivation.

Yet despite it all, she’s looking at me with concern.

...

Fucking Pokemon...

“It’s nothing...” I mutter. “Just reminiscing, that’s all.”

She blinks at me before slowly nodding. “I see.. In that case, I won’t pry..” She simply says.

She’s...an often hard one to read, yet I’ve started to see the hints. She definitely wants to inquire about what’s going on in my head, but by having a sense of decency...she doesn’t. Instead she nods goodbye to me before walking past, making her way down the hall.

“Hey.” I speak up loudly, causing her to stop and look back at me with surprise and confusion.

She quickly got a hold of herself though, the reserved look returning. “Yes, Asmund?”

Honestly? The next words that came from my mouth were...painful, yet it would be even more painful to have them left unsaid.

“You’re pretty alright...for a Pokemon.”

She blinks again and again. Although she’s known for her reservedness, once she registers the words I said? An uncharacteristically wide smile spreads on her face.

Despite the overflowing joy she’s experiencing, she quickly recomposes herself and lets her grin return to a small yet respectful smile. “Thank you, Asmund. That means a lot to me.”

To her credit, she doesn’t look tired anymore.

“Yeah... Just don’t fucking let it go to your head.” I mutter before turning around, walking back the way I came.

I don’t say another word, nor do I look back. I just focus on the path ahead of me.

As I turn a corner, the words slowly leak out of my mouth as a quiet mumble.

She’s shouting at me now, but the words don’t reach me. I’m simply laying there in absolute shock, trying to wrap my head around the fact that a fucking Pokemon of all things managed to knock me down as if it was nothing. What’s worse is that the in-built enchantments didn’t kick in from the ice, probably due to the fact that ice is not energy-based.

So now I’m laying there as she’s laying into me with spiteful words - still ignoring her. What if she dented me? It’s a massive pain in the ass to repair my body. I can’t do it myself since I’m incapable of that shit, so I have to rely on the other damn Pokemon in the GoT.

My train of thought halts when my mind fully registers the situation.

She...struck me.

The fucking Pokemon...not only struck me, but knocked me on my ass.

And now...she is standing on top of me.

...

Despite my limbs being encased in ice, I feel my fingers slowly beginning to clench. The frozen water could do little to stop the limbs from moving, forcing the giant crystals to crack.

I’m glaring at her now, my face would being showing that of rage if it weren’t for the fact that it’s frozen on that damn frown. Loud hisses and clanking sounds come from my body as the gears and pistons truly start kicking in.

No one...strikes me.

She will PAY for that shit.

The ice encasing my fist shatters as I swing the limb at her and grab her by the scruff of her neck like a vice. Not a second later I fling her to the side in attempt to get her body off of my form.

The nozzles around my cannon-arm lets out multiple jets of super-hot steam, weakening the ice crystals encasing said arm enough for me to yank it out. I let out a loud growl as I pull my head out of its own icy prison and stand up to my full height.

Glancing down at my chest, I discover that she did in fact dent me. That alone is enough to make that fire in my chest intensify to that of a blazing inferno.

“You...have no idea on who you’re fucking with.” I hiss, my voice dripping with malice. “Man-made horror? That is a laughable thing to hear from the mouth of a fucking animal.” I point at her with a finger. “I was calling you creatures for what you are - pathetic and disgusting beasts who have far too much power for your own good.” I lower my hand, its fist clenching again. “You talk about a ‘list’ while having no damn clue on who I am.”

I feel a grin form on my face as Tetishuri strides into the throne room, her signature cool smile on her face - and said smile widens somewhat upon seeing me.

“Teti!” I shout happily, standing up from my throne. Throwing courtesy to the wind, I run up to her and pull her into a hug - yet keeping enough distance so that we don’t impale each other with our chest horns.

“I see that you’re feeling better, Nefi.” She chuckles, returning my hug. Her gaze looks at my eyes, her smirk widening. “I see that your servants have done a great job with your makeup, since those bags under your eyes are barely noticeable.” Her eyes twinkle. “Still staying up late playing that handheld~?”

I pout, giving her a playful shove. “It’s not my fault that the games are addicting!” I say indignantly.

That handheld is a small gaming console from overseas, said device having been gifted to Tetishuri by a small Lopuny, in which Tetishuri then gifted to me. I’ve had such fun playing with it ever since I figured how it worked, and it has been the best form of distraction to keep me dwelling on...recent events.

“You still have your royal duties.” She chuckle at me, giving me a playful shove back. “It would be unfortunate if the Queen of Venhara were to oversleep after staying late playing games.”

This is one of the things I love about Tetishuri, for she treats me like a friend instead of a queen when we’re out of the public eye. She has been one of my strongest pillars in keeping me sane.

“But I haven’t come here for pleasantries, sadly.” Tetishuri then says, her smile turning to a frown.

And all pleasant things have to end, it seems. Can’t help but be unsurprised, as much as I hate to say. With a heavy sigh I turn and walk back to the throne, sitting down on the plush silk cushion and resting my hands on the armrests.

“Guards!” I shout to the Sapphire Warriors standing by the throne doors. “I shall be holding no more audiences for the day.” I glance at Tetishuri, and another thought comes to my mind. “You are all dismissed.”

They nod their head, but I could notice some of their expressions of disappointment. It’s very clear that they wanted to listen to whatever it is that Teti has to say, but they obeyed nevertheless. As the throne doors close behind them, my gaze turns back to Tetishuri.

“What is it that you have to tell me, Teti?” I ask, tiredness filling my voice.

“Sand Striders Abasi and Massika have returned.” The leader of the Sapphire Warriors speaks, straight to the point as always. “They have found more tracks, this time severa morel pairs of them.”

The pit in my stomach grows bigger. “M-More?” I stutter, my eyes widening.

She nods her head grimly. “It seems that whatever caused those tracks after that storm, there is more than just one creature.”

I grab my head. “By the Queens...” I whisper.

“The Sand Striders followed the tracks to the end, however the tracks ended just as suddenly as the first.” She finishes.

I’m not sure if I should be feeling this worried or not, but after being informed by the Guardians of Twilight of what they dealt with recently...

...I feel that I really should be worried.

They fought what seems to be a Scizor whose origins are completely unknown, possessing a power whose likes has never been seen before. On the day of its death, a large storm appears in Venhara followed by the tracks of something completely unknown.

Am I...overreacting? Am I getting incredibly stressed for no reason?

It is...a coincidence, for such events to happen within the same day. Perhaps something else caused that storm, such as a rogue Thundurus or Tornadus.

...Yet that doesn’t quite explain the tracks, and the concept of a rogue Legendary isn’t really that much better...

“...Tetishuri?” I eventually ask after a lengthy silence.

During this period the other Lucario waited patiently, and upon me saying her name she nods her head. “Yes, Nefi?” She responds back.

“I’d...like to ask you a question.” I slowly continue, my voice apprehensive.

“Ask anything, I am here.” She responds again, giving me a comforting smile.

I wait for several more minutes, contemplating my choice of words.

“Am I...making the right choice?” I finally ask, my voice hesitant.

Tetishuri walks over to me and pulls me up from the throne and into a warm embrace, allowing me to rest my head on her shoulder. “You are making the best choice from the information that you know.” She answers into my ear. “You are worried for your kingdom.”

I feel myself relaxing. “I’m not overreacting?”

She pulls away, looking me dead in the eyes. “We both heard what the Guardians of Twilight told us. You are no overreacting. You are acting in response to a possible threat to the kingdom, as a Queen of Venhara should.”

Whatever doubt that clouded my mind vanishes completely after hearing those words. “Thanks, Teti.” I say softly to her, a smile of relief forming on my lips.

“Anything for my Queen.” She simply responds back with a mischievous smile.

I give her a playful shove. “Come on, you know I hate it when you call me that.” I whine. “I have to deal with it enough when we’re under the watchful eye of the public!”

Tetishuri merely laughs in response. “But I enjoy the reactions that it brings!”

I stick my tongue at her.

She blinks at me before crossing her arms. “Sometimes you make me wonder how old you truly are, seeing how often you behave like a pup.”

A blow a raspberry for further measure.

She raises an eyebrow in response. “Yes, I often wonder indeed...”

As a formulate a retort, Tetishuri speaks up again - cutting my train of thought from forming a brilliant response. “Before I forget, I do have one more bit of news - positive this time.”

"Well, that’s a welcome change.” I sigh.

Tetishuri nods. “I’ve received word from the Guardians of Twilight. There has been a slight delay, but the Night Watcher that’s coming to investigate will be arriving in two weeks. They’ve assured me that it’s one of their best for this environment.”

Now this caught me curiosity. “Best for this environment?”

She nods again. “Their skills are considered unparalleled in desert climates among the Guardians of Twilight. If there is a threat in our kingdom, this Night Watcher will surely find it.”

More relief fills me. “That’s...very assuring.”

“I agree, however I feel that some of the Sand Striders will probably have a bone to pick with this Night Watcher.” Tetishuri smirks.

I blink. “Bone to pick...?”

Her smirk grows. “An expression I picked up during my most recent visit to the Guardian of Twilight’s Headquarters.” With that she takes a step back, bowing her head. “As much as I’d like to continue this conversation, I have a few duties left for me to attend. I will see you again later today, Nefi.”

Without another word she turns and walks towards the giant doors.

A scowl forms on my lips. “You still didn’t tell me what that expression means!”

No response came from Tetishuri, who is currently opening the giant pair of doors with a push of her hand.

“Teti! What does it meaaaaan?!” I shout before running after her, my behavior surely being something that would bring great shame to the Venharan Queens before me.

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[Location: Venhara - Dunefields of Den] [PoV: ???¿?¿¿?]

...

<>CONNECTION ESTABLISHED<>

...

<>LOCATION - UNKNOWN|REALM - UNKNOWN|TIMELINE - UNKNOWN<>

<>INFORMATION INCONCLUSIVE<>

<>SCAN KNOWN DATA COLLECTIVES|OBTAIN TRACE INFORMATION<>

<>COLLECTIVE INFLUENCE: 0%<>

<>COLLECTIVE TRACE: 0%<>

<>MATTER CONVERTED: 0%<>

<>CONCLUSION: REALM UNTOUCHED<>

...

<>SETTING OBJECTIVES FOR AESIVE SUBJUGATION COLLECTIVE<>

<>STUDY|LEARN|CONVERT<>

<>SETTING OBJECTIVES TO AXIS MINDS<>

<>OBJECTIVE: MERGE REALITY WITH COLLECTIVE REALITIES|TIMELINES<>

<>OBJECTIVE ASSIGNED TO AXIS MIND: ENKELADOS<>

<>OBJECTIVE: INTEGRATE WORLD INTO COLLECTIVE NETWORK<>

<>OBJECTIVE ASSIGNED TO AXIS MIND: PANAKION<>

<>SUITABLE|PREPARE|RELEASE<>

<>CONVERT MATTER|ESTABLISH FOOTHOLD|CEMENT EXISTENCE<>

...

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...

Honestly? I’m actually very impressed that Elizabeth managed to last this long. Part of the reason why I’m very good at holding my own alcohol is because I’m a Fire-type, so the heat within me helps burn some of the alcohol before it enters my system. That and paired up with a liver of pure steel? I can keep drinking this stuff all throughout the night.

Elizabeth? She’s smaller than I am, so I guess the only thing that’s keeping her going is the fact that she’s used to drinking this much.

“I cannnn keep doooooing tees all...n...” The Lopunny slurs, her expression being that of a goofy smile. She didn’t finish the sentence though, since she practically chucks the rum into her mouth. She smacks her mouth, her tongue lolling out. “Seeeeee...? Steell...going....!”

The bartender gives her a concerned look before looking back at me, obviously rather hesitant on giving us another round of shots.

I roll my eyes before looking at him with a smirk. “Just one more shot for the both of us.” I tell him.

I have a feeling that this’ll be the straw that breaks the Camprupt’s back, since Elizabeth is barely holding on as it is.

He slowly nods his head and grabs two more shot glasses and fills them with the crystal clear yet extremely strong alcohol. He sets them down in front of me and the Lopunny before taking a step back and watching us at our ‘game’.

I grab my glass and look at Elizabeth, raising an eyebrow at her. “Number twelve.” I say before immediately downing it, the burning sensation being the same as the previous eleven.

Elizabeth immediately goes to grab her drink, but in her attempt to do so she immediately starts falling off her stool. I quickly extend an arm and catch her, preventing her from having a rather rough embrace with the wooden floor.

“Noooooo...” She whines. “I can...do eeeeeeeet!” She tries to sit up, yet even with my assistance she can’t get herself fully back onto her stool.

“I’d say that it’s over, Elizabeth.” I say to her,. my smirk widening.

Honestly? Even though I’ve won, it didn’t really feel as satisfying because of how effortless it was. Yeah I get to have her ‘do anything I want’ for an hour since that was the wager that was made, but if anything I don’t have much interest in that.

If anything? Teaching Elizabeth a lesson was the biggest motivator for me since she really needed to not go off the deep end. Right now? Obviously she’s way too drunk to realize her mistake, but at least I get to feel rather smug.

“Nononooooo!” She continues to complain. “I...ammmm...not dooone. Tere ees...steell...” At this point she’s really falling over, in which I now have to use both hands to keep her from stumbling off her stool like a ragdoll.

“It’s over, Elizabeth.” I repeat, trying contain a chuckle. When she doesn’t respond to this I instead give her a stern look, in which she somehow manages to meet with her own gaze before slumping.

“Fiiiine...” She sighs, her cheeks a deep shade of purple from the booze.

With a bit of effort I manage to pull her off her feet and get her to lean against the counter, in which I turn back to face the bartender.

Said individual is looking at the massive spread of empty shot-glasses with a look of immense respect. “Sheesh, ladies.” He exclaims with a shake of his head, chuckling. “You two hold your liquor far better than anyone I’ve ever met.”

I couldn’t help but give my own chuckle, smiling to myself. “We’re not any simple ladies, after all.”

He whistles. “No kidding. If you members of the Guardians of Twilight all have similar alcohol tolerance, this place will be out of drinks in a night if at least twenty of you were to visit at once.”

I fumble with my dress before pulling out my wallet, and after sifting through it I pull out a sizable amount of money that should pay for all of the alcohol - and provide an impressive tip. I set it down on the counter before giving him a nod of thanks.

The bartender grins and takes the money. “Much obliged.” He says before looking at Elizabeth. “Need help, or-?”

I shake my head, still chuckling. “No need, I will take her back.”

I stand up from my stool - the action causes my body to lose its balance slightly.

Hmm, perhaps the alcohol has more of an effect on me than I thought. That’d also explain why I’m also more loose with my emotions. Guess it really has been a while since I last drank...

Grabbing my staff that’s leaning against the counter, I clasp Elizabeth’s arm and pull her to my form.

“Lean on me.” I tell her. “I’ll support you as we head back to the guild HQ.”

She doesn’t respond - verbally at least, and together we slowly begin to make our way out of the club.

The moment we step outside I immediately feel myself get blasted with fresh air, the strong scent of sweat disappearing with the midnight breeze. The city itself is also relatively quieter compared to the club, so my ears feel very thankful as well.

As the two of us slowly make our way back, Elizabeth starts talking again.

“Nooo...” She whines once more. “I...do not waaant...to beee....your slaaaaave!”

The last word causes my body to freeze, the action making Elizabeth stumble forward before falling - and with her grip on her body, she ends up taking her with me.

The two of us fall flat onto the sidewalk, my staff releasing from my grip and clattering the ground. At this point my face is so flushed that people would probably actually see a noticeable shade of pink on my cheeks - despite the dark fur covering them.

“E-Elizabeth!” I shout indignantly. “Not in public!” I blink before immediately following up with: “And forget about the wager, I have no interest in-”

“Buuut eet was a beeeet!” The Lopunny retorts in her drunken stupor. “I ‘ave to do eeeeeeet!”

I grit my teeth. “Elizabeth-” I start to say, but she cuts me off again.

“What weell you ‘ave me...doooo?” She continues her drunken tirade. “Weell you ‘ave me...streep een publeec? Weell you ‘ave meeeee....chained to a bed so youuuu-”

I don’t even let her finish that sentence. “NONE OF THAT!” I shout frantically, my face full on burning now.

At this point we definitely have a lot of onlookers now. Gritting my teeth harder I get back to my feet and grab my staff, and once I have my balance I pull Elizabeth back to her feet.

“Not another word!” I hiss at her. “Let us get back, no more of this nonsense!!”

She looks at me with confusion. “Buuut thee wag-”

“No!” I growl at her. “No no no! No wager! Just stop talking!”

And so we continued the long trek back to the GoT HQ.

...

Where did she get THAT assumption?! 

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

Much to my chagrin, the journey back did not go smoothly at all. Elizabeth continued to go on and on about the ‘wager’, shouting and whining about all sorts of obscenities she thinks I will do to her. Even with my best attempts I just...could not...get her...to shut up.

I have half the mind to burn her on the spot and be done with it. And the worst part is that if I drank any more alcohol? I probably would’ve actually done it due to the sheer embarrassment I’m feeling.

I swear, who the FUCK does she think I am? With all of the shit she’s saying, people would think I’m some extremely kinky freak!

At this point we’re navigating the hallways of the HQ, and thank Arceus because there’s barely any people walking around this time of night. The few who do walk by us have expressions of confusion - or worse, smirks.

As we’re navigating, a thought suddenly strikes me.

I have...no idea on where Elizabeth stays. Obviously asking her is out of the question, because of the fact she failed to listen to a SINGLE word I said ever since we left the club.

“Shit.” I say aloud, the uncharacteristic word causing a nearby passerby to flinch. I turn and glare at them, my green eyes blazing. “What are you fucking looking at? Keep moving!” I half-shout at them, causing them to start sprinting off - and nearly tripping while doing so.

“-aaand once you are done weet te strap-on...” Elizabeth continues with her tirade, in which I start cringing even harder.

“BY THE GODS AND GODDESSES ABOVE, ELIZABETH!” I shout at her in anger. “I AM NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING SEXUAL TO YOU! STOP TALKING LIKE I’M ABOUT TO FUCK YOU!”

Okay, normally I would be complimented on having insane composure. How I am the pinnacle of professionalism.

Me right now? A combination of alcohol as well as massive doses of irritation and embarrassment is apparently enough to take said reputation and shatter it completely and utterly.

“Buuut te wag-” Elizabeth starts for the umpteenth time.

“Fuck the wager!” I growl at her, my teeth flaring.

Her eyes widen as her flushed face grows even more red.

It took me a moment to realize my poor choice of words. With an even louder growl I start dragging her stumbling form with me.

You know what? Fuck it. I am not navigating these hallways to find her room, especially since there are many potential witnesses. I’m taking her to my room so she can sleep this whole shit off, and MAYBE I still have a chance to salvage what little I have left of my dignity.

Of course Elizabeth continues to babble as we make our way as quickly as physically possible to my room. My ears are definitely flat against my head now, my jaw clenching so hard that it’s actually hurting.

As we finally take the last turn, I feel relief fill my body as the door to my room comes into view.

FINALLY! My salvation!

As I approach the room with Elizabeth in tow, I rest my staff against the wall as I start fumbling my dress for my room-key.

Elizabeth starts mumbling in a confused tone, her words lost to me. As she watches me pull out my key and put it into the slot in the door, her eyes widen to the point where I swear they’re going to pop up.

Oh no, you little shit. This is NOT what you’re thinking of.

“You are sleeping in my room till you’re back to your normal self.” I growl, doing my best to prevent her from saying a SINGLE word. “Nothing is happening in here except you getting rest. Got it?”

I don’t let her respond. As soon as the door opens, I stash my key, grab my staff, and drag her into the room.

Ignoring the scattered papers around my ‘humble abode’ from my duty as temporary Night Hunter Leader, I pull Elizabeth towards my bed and practically throw her at it. Her body stumbles before falling on top of it, her voice becoming muffled as her face is against the sheets.

With a sigh of relief I walk over to my study and sit down at the chair next to my desk. I rest my elbows onto the paper-covered wooden surface, using my hands to cradle my head.

It’s over, Jezebel. It’s over, no one will hear that dirty rabbit anymore. You’re safe.

You have a plan of action. You can tell everyone who overheard Elizabeth that she was in a drunken stupor, and that you were helping her to her room. If they ask about your outbursts, you can claim that they must be mistaking and it was Elizabeth who was acting in such a way. That or they misheard due to lack of sleep, since it was late at night after all.

I feel myself smile.

Yeah, it’ll all work out. Everything is good, your reputation is-

“I...am ready.” I hear Elizabeth meekly say from the direction of my bed.

My body tenses, my eyes widening.

I don’t dare look behind me to see what the hell she means exactly by that. Ohhhh no. No no no.

Hell. Fucking. No.

When I manage to regain my footing without falling over, I place my hand on my face to feel it. No dents, but at the same time it was a water balloon...

...encased in an Aura Sphere.

...

I hear her speaking, but the words don’t reach me.

I raise my cannon at her, loud clacking sounds coming from the interior of the contraption signifying that I’ve loaded a cannonball.

“You have a fucking death wish?” I hiss at her, my voice shaking with rage. “Do you want to fucking die? Because I WILL kill you!”

Oh I want to shoot her so very bad. I want to watch her head get turned into nothing but a crimson mist, leaving her to die a quick yet very painful death.

But the longer I keep my cannon pointed at her, the more I remember that I’m in a public setting. If I shoot her? Things will go VERY bad. I don’t care if I end up fighting any of the guests, but it’ll give the GoT a very bad image. That and I know for a fact Pahaliah would leap at the opportunity to interfere.

Fuck.

With a growl I lower my cannon, muttering every curse word imaginable under my breath.

“Of course you have to be here.” I speak up, my dislike towards her being VERY clear in my tone. “Of course the fucking purple freak is here of all places.” My fist clenches. “You’re lucky. Lucky that we’re here in a place like this. If this were somewhere more secluded? You’d be dead, end of story.”

I should walk away. I should just turn my back on her and walk off. The problem though is I have no desire to give her any satisfaction.

“This is so exciting!” Minato exclaims gleefully, the invitation clasped in his claws. “I can’t wait to participate in all of these activities!” He turns and grins at me. “Thank you for coming, Asmund. I appreciate it.”

My response is to just stare into the space ahead of me. Still processing on how he managed to convince me to even come here.

“Please remember to behave, Asmund.” The voice of Jezebel speaks up. “I understand your dislike for these events, but please...at least try to keep control over your temper.”

I turn and glare at the dark Delphox. “Why are you here again?” I ask her in a clearly annoyed tone.

She coolly matches my gaze with her own. “Which answer do you prefer? The true or the false one?”

I clench my fist angrily. “Out with it.”

Jezebel rolls her eyes. “To keep an eye on you. We are more than aware that you have a history of causing trouble in public events such as these. So my reason here? To keep an eye on you as well as perform damage control if need be.”

Of course, that’s the reason why she’s here of all places. She’s not known to come to ‘beach parties’ as is.

I turn my disdainful glare to Pahaliah - said white Decidueye is currently giving me her own stinkeye. “Mine own reasons art the same, Asmund.” She says snidely. “Prithee behaveth, f'r all of our sakes. And if 't be true not, doth ‘t f'r Minato”

I turn and focus on the road ahead of me, resisting the desire to launch a tirade of insults at her. Sure I have difficulty understanding her as it is, but I can quite clearly make out what she’s saying to me right now.

Yeah...this is gonna be a long month...

As we walk over the last hill, the beach finally comes into view. Everything is visible. From the brightly colored umbrellas, to the sapphire blue sea, to the happy Pokemon who are building sandcastles and painting Tiki masks.

And it all looks absolutely disgusting.

Yup. Gonna be a very long month...

“Oh? Do my own eyes fool me?” I hear a peculiar yet familiar voice speak to me, just barely audible over the loud music. “Ees tees Jezebel in a nightclub of all places?”

Hopping onto the empty stool beside me is no other than Elisabeth, in which said Lopunny/Vaporeon hybrid is grinning widely at me.

“I deed not tink you would be te type to be ‘ere, renard chéri~” She purrs. “What a pleasant surprise eendeed~”

Stirring my now half-empty glass, I look at her with a clearly unamused expression. “Elisabeth.” I say curtly before looking back at my drink.

From the corner of my eye I see her take her tri-corn hat off her head and set it down onto the bar counter. “I ‘ave been ‘ere many times, yet never ‘ave seen you ‘ere. I assume that tees ees a special occasion, no?” She nudges me with an elbow. “Hmm? Am I wrong?”

Feeling tempted to just take my drink and walk away, I instead let out a heavy breath through my nose.

‘Just answer her, Jezebel.’ I mentally tell myself. ‘You’re not here to be stressed out. Yes, Elisabeth of all people had to show up, but answering her will most likely make her stop bothering you.’

“Kaiser has now returned to her position as Night Hunter Branch leader.” I say in an almost bored tone. “So that means I’m no longer needed to work in her place.”

Looking at her, I see that her playful grin has turned to a small smile. “Was eet tat bad?” She asks.

I rub my temples. “Very.” I say lowly. “I have very little experience in working such a position, so managing all of you was...very stressful to say the least.” Letting out a sigh I rest my head in my arms. “I’m used to filing after-mission reports involving my team as well as the occasional interrogation, but keeping track of tens of dozens of teams all the while making sure they’re all okay? It’s...something else completely...”

I feel her pat my shoulder, in which I look up at her. “For what eet ees wort’, you deed a great job.” She assures me, still smiling. “You deed do tings rater deefferently compared to Kaiser, but you steell deed well!” She starts to laugh. “Een fact, tees does explain your rater grumpy atteetude whenever we needed to speak to you, renard chéri~”

I roll my eyes at this, but I found my irritation towards her fading away. “Yeah, I was...not in a good mood throughout the entire time I was in that position.” I focus on my drink again, letting out another sigh. “I do apologize however, it was very rude of me to act that way towards all of you.”

She shrugs her shoulders. “No ‘arm done, Jezebel! No ‘arm done at all!” The Lopunny nudges my shoulder, giving me a cheeky grin. “Eef you want to make tings even ‘owever, ‘ow about a keess on the leeps~?”

I don’t even miss a beat. “I’ll pass.” I say before draining the rest of my drink. With the cocktail glass empty I push it away, letting out a contented sigh of relief.

Elisabeth watched the whole thing, in which her cheeky grin becomes something more devilish. “Say...” She starts in a singsong tone. “I am feeling rater competeeteeve, so ‘ow about I challenge you to a leettle game~?”

I glance at her, once again unamused. “I assume this involves alcohol?” I ask, although I already knew the answer.

She nods slyly. “Oui, Jezebel~ ‘ow about you and I ‘ave a contest? To see who ‘as te strongest stomach~?”

I rest my cheek on my hand, letting out another breath through my nose. “So you’re requesting me participate in a drinking contest with you.” I state.

She nods her head. “Oui~”

My flat look intensifies. “You’re challenging a co-worker to a drinking contest.”

Elisabeth waggles her finger. “Ah ah! We do not work togeter, Jezebel! We are on deefferent teams, so we are not co-workers!”

I blink.

“We...both work for the Guardians of Twilight.” I say slowly, looking at her with bewilderment. “That means that we are co-workers. In fact, I was technically your boss at one point.”

She shrugs her shoulders. “Back when I was into piracy, te capitaine would drink wit te crew all te time! Een tees case, I see eet to be no deefferent~”

At this point I’ve decided to humor her. “Alright, so a drinking contest. Let’s say if I were to accept, what do you and I get out of this?”

Elisabeth leans towards me, her grin widening further. “To prove who ‘as te strongest stomach, deed I not already say tat~?” The Lopunny straightens herself, her grin turning into a smirk. “Altough...’ow about we...’up te stakes’, as one would say?” She starts tracing the brim of her hat with a finger. “Whoever weens not only shows tat tey ‘ave te strongest stomach, but also ‘as to do whatever te oter wishes for te next hour~?” A low purr comes from her. “Are you up to it? Or are you too afraid~?”

Heh, I should’ve expected as much. Elisabeth has a reputation of pulling stunts like this. This usually tends to involve her teammates, so it’s a little surprising to see that she’s trying to involve me of all people.

Although when I think about it, she’s probably just saying all of this just because she’s playing around. She tends to go overboard when it comes to messing with people, so this is something I wouldn’t put it past her.

...

Actually... This could provide me with an excellent opportunity...

I look at Elisabeth, the Lopunny still smirking at me. With a completely straight face I respond. “Very well, I accept.”

She lets out a laugh. “Ho ho ho! I knew you would not- WHA?!” At this point she’s realizing what I said, and all of her bravado turned into incoherent sputtering.

My face is still straight. “Did I stutter?” I say, this time leaning towards her. “You did challenge me after all. As leader of Purging Light, I need to represent my teammates.” I wave at the bartender. “Tender! Please bring the both of us a shot train of a strong rum.”

Elisabeth is looking at me uncertainly now. “A-Are you sure? I do not believe you are up to tees.” She starts grinning, albeit still looking confused. “I ‘ave outdrank all who contested wit me, after all!”

I watch as the bartender starts placing shot after shot before us. “I would never participate in something if I’m unsure about it.” I answer in a matter-of-fact tone. “There’s a reason why I’m where I am.” I grab the shot glass, looking her straight in the eyes. “You have one chance to back out, Elisabeth.”

She immediately grabs her shot, now smirking. “Ho! Me, Elisabeth Brasseur, te Fearsome Sapphire Beauty, back out from a drinking challenge? Vous devez faire erreur, Jezebel.” With that she immediately downs the shot, grinning like mad. “Te deed is done! Now let us see who weell last!”

Without hesitating I down my own, the burning liquid flowing down my throat. I can tell that this stuff is very potent, the bartender made an excellent choice. I never faltered from this and upon setting my shot down I grab another, holding it towards her. “The challenge is on.” I say.

Little does this Lopunny know that she already lost, since I have a secret weapon that no one knows about.

The trio of them were pretty much lounging around while I worked, giving me space to create these charms. I didn’t really need the space though since I’m no amateur, but the thought behind it is appreciated nonetheless.

The first to approach me is Bladesong, the cyborg looking at the necklaces curiously. “So those are the charms you were making?” She asks before wincing, probably realizing how obvious the question is.

I snicker. “Indeed! And of course admiring them won’t do us any good, we need to see how well the illusion fits on you after all~” I offer one of them to her, the necklace possessing a smooth metal sphere inscribed with numerous runes on its surface.

She eagerly takes the necklace and immediately puts it around her neck.

Turning my gaze to Chimera, I see him standing with crossed arms. “I haven’t forgotten about you~” I say to him, winking. I extend the other necklace to him, in which he carefully accepts.

“So...” Bladesong speaks up. “How does this work?”

I look back to see that she’s poking at the necklace uncertainly, clearly confused.

“Simply putting it on won’t activate the enchantment, my dear!” I laugh. “I always make sure that these charms have a verbal activation, so you can throw it on whenever without worrying of the illusion immediately taking effect.” I lightly scratch my cheek with one of my claws. “Simply cup the metal sphere of the necklace in one of your hands and say ‘Star’, it’ll activate right after~”

I’ve never seen someone grasp a necklace so quick. Bladesong immediately did just that and says the word.

“Star?” She says uncertainly, as if doubting it’ll actually work.

And the second she said the word while clutching the necklace, the black fire immediately surrounded her form, causing her to yelp in surprise. The fire only lasted for a second though, since it dissipates immediately.

Now I get to see the result of my expertly crafted illusion~

Standing in place is a cyborg Pokemon no more, for in her steed is a more ‘normal’ Human.

Her body-shape and hair-style remain the same, but that’s all where the similarities stop. She now has light fair skin, her eyes a nice shade of green, and each of her fingers end with bright pink nails - as if she recently visited a nail salon. The two bladed tentacles on the back of her head have been changed to a pair of long black braids of hair, their length being the same as said tendrils. Her body sports a simple white t-shirt with jeans, and on her feet is a pair of red sneakers.

The only thing that truly stands out from her are her abnormally long braids, but between that and her simply waltzing around Progria in her full glory? We’d much rather take the former.

Upon looking at her hands Bladesong’s eyes widen instantly. “Whoa!” She exclaims, her gaze rapidly shifting from her hands to her own body.

“There’s the nearby spring if you want to properly look at yourself.” I remind her, in which she immediately dashes towards said pool of water.

As I watch her run off, I hear the quiet mutter of Chimera, saying the activation word ‘Star’.

After another burst of black flame, the result of his transformation is also quite different.

Now he is a man of dark brown skin, with rich blue eyes and not an ounce of hair on his head - an excellent fit for him. His attire consists of a black hoodie, jeans, and brown boots. His appearance was far more easy to work with since his form is shaped exactly like a Human, so he’ll blend into Progria just fine~

He glances down at his hands, taking note of his changed appearance. “Brown skin huh?” He mutters, turning the appendages around so he can see the palms. “Never thought I’d see myself switching skin colors three times in my lifetime. From white to orange to brown.” He shrugs his shoulders. “Then again, back then I never expected it to change to begin with.”

I blink, not quite understanding on what he meant. “Switching skin colors?” I say, tilting my head slightly.

He waves me off. “Just me muttering, forget it.” He dismisses before making his way over to the spring, most likely to check his own reflection.

I’m not necessarily sure on what he meant by that, but it wouldn’t do me well to pry, or at least for now~

As for the spring, so far Bladesong looks to be fawning over herself, turning her face and body so she can see every last detail of her newfound disguise.

“Even though you do have a reputation for your illusions, it’s still quite impressive to see them firsthand.” Trojan comments, floating over beside me.

I grin at this. “What can I say? I’m good at what I do~”

He crosses his floating arms. “I can’t even discern if it’s real or not, the fact that it’s fooling even my digital feed is quite outstanding.”

“That’s due to the sheer complexity of the illusion. It holds enough ‘realness’ to fool things like cameras, which I presume is how you’re seeing.” I say, looking at his digital eyes. “And vision is not the only thing my illusions fool. If one were to touch them, their senses will give them the texture they’re expecting~” My smile falters somewhat. “Although...it does have its limits. Extended physical contact is not recommended, since that’s where the illusion will begin to falter. If they touch something for longer than fifteen seconds, the faux-sensation will give way to what they’re actually feeling.”

“Such as for Bladesong’s case, the feeling of fabric would be replaced with metal?” Trojan asks.

I nod. “Indeed. My illusions are quite powerful, although they’re considerably weaker when placed into charms.” A frown fully takes my face. “I also say that they should avoid combat at all costs while under the illusion. If anything were to strike their forms while the illusion is in-effect, it’ll disrupt the magic field to the point where it’ll break down completely, thus causing the illusion to disappear.”

“And we don’t want that.” He says with his own nod. “This information will definitely need to be relayed to them so that they’ll keep these precautions in mind.”

“Of course, I don’t plan to leave them without it after all.” I chuckle, my smile returning. I turn my head slightly to look at him more, one of my eyebrows raising. “Are you sure you don’t want a charm like them? I’m quite sure I can whip up something for your unique form~”

He shakes his head. “The offer is most appreciated, however it would ultimately be useless for me. Not only do I intend to not go out in public, I don’t even intend to use this body for most of the mission.”

This makes me pause. “Body?” I repeat, my eyebrows raising. “Are you saying that this isn’t your actual form?”

He laughs at this. “Oh definitely not! My true form is made of pure energy! Throughout this mission I intend to inhabit the electronics at our base of operations, so that I may effectively communicate with them while they’re out in the field. That and effectively gather information through the web the moment they need it.” He taps his body with a metal finger. “This body is merely something for me to efficiently travel around, that and manipulate objects.” He waggles his fingers for emphasis. “But regardless, although the offer is appreciated, your efforts would ultimately be wasted.”

“That...makes more sense now.” I say slowly, my mind processing this newfound information.

Glad that I’m understanding, Trojan turns his floating head to look at the two disguised individuals - who are still examining their forms through the reflection of the spring. “So...” He starts again. “...Should we be leaving now?”