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POKÉMON MYSTERY DUNGEON
GUARDIANS OF BALANCE
ALWAYS AUDACITY
CHAPTER XX – DARK TRUTH
GUARDIANS OF BALANCE
ALWAYS AUDACITY
CHAPTER XX – DARK TRUTH
The sun was already dipping below the horizon as Aidan led the way out of the Guild tree, leaving the sky a smudgy orange that had started shrouding the entire town in darkness. Few Pokémon remained in the square, and those few remaining were already closing up their shops or making their way into their cabins and homes.
Aidan hopped along at a rapid pace, even faster than Alice had been within the tunnels under Broken Wood, and Sam scrambled to run after the Froakie. "Whoa Aidan!" Sam barked, "Slow down will you?!"
"Quiet down!" Aidan countered, pushing down on of the paths leading into the trees. "Just try and keep up!"
"I'm certainly trying to!"
They pushed down the path, and with Aidan's speed, they had soon cleared the outskirts of Robinswood. His partner pushed onwards, heading towards the south, Sam realised. What the heck is Aidan up to?
Bringing himself to a halt, Aidan snapped his gaze all around them, his eyes searching the trees for any signs of movement and likewise with the path. Sam had to wonder what on earth he was so worried about. But before he could either fully consider that, Aidan pounced off the path and into the trees. Mind racing, Sam leapt in behind him, struggling to follow the frog as he stumbled over thick roots and around the trees. "Aidan! Where the hell are you going?"
"Almost there…" Aidan replied from ahead, with a final bound, landed with a small clearing within the forest. Sam panted as he stepped into the clear. His heart pounded, taken aback by how fast Aidan could move if push came to shove.
The Froakie scanned the space one more time, before finally letting out a sigh and turning towards Sam. "Sorry for that." He explained, letting out a little puff of air. As if on cue, the orange sky faded away into a dark blue as night finally settled above his head. "I just had to get us away from the town first. This isn't something I wanted to risk anyone hearing back in town."
Straightening up, Sam pulled a deep frown. "Must be pretty serious if you wanted us to get away from Robinswood." He grumbled, crossing his arms. "Alright Aidan, what's all this about?".
Aidan looked over the Scorbunny, the two small bubbles on his nose twitching a little bit as part of his scan. "I guess I owe you an explanation." He turned away, his gaze seeming to pierce the trees towards the south west. "The thing is… there is another job I do."
"Another job?" Sam questioned, leaning forward an inch. "What kind of job is so serious you have to be outside of town to actually talk about it?"
Aidan closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath as if preparing himself for what was to come. Or maybe he was trying to convince himself to stop at the last second. But regardless of what was buzzing about in his head, he nodded to himself and turned back towards Sam.
"I'll get straight to the point. I'm a smuggler."
Sam blinked, his heart missing a beat as the word pounded against his chest. A lump forming in his float, he slowly began to shake his head. "You're pulling my leg, right?" he questioned, his brow furrowing. "You can't be some kind of crook!"
Aidan shook his head, "Sorry Sam." He said blankly, "But I am a smuggler. I handle some of the goods that come into the Sea of Wonders."
He bowed his head a little bit, almost as if accepting judgement. Sam's head continued to shake, struggling to come to terms with this. A smuggler… so bringing in illegal goods? I don't know how trade and all that works in this world… but damn it… why is it… no! Aidan can't be one!
But as his partner patiently waited for his response, standing at the other side of the clearing with his head hanging, his doubts began to fade away… he knew how serious Aidan could get on key issues… and Aidan had been so open with him before about things
He… is he actually… but… if he actually is… then what is he actually-
Sam bared his buckteeth, "Why the hell are you doing this!? What stuff are you bringing in!? Weapons!? Or something worse!? People?!"
Aidan's eyes widened, both hands snapping forward and waving hurriedly back at him. "No no! Not like that!"
"Then what are you bringing in!?" Sam snapped, taking a step forward. "What are you bringing in that is illegal!?"
"Medicines!"
He took a step forward, only to stop dead in his tracks at the words. "M-Medicines?"
Aidan tilted his head, eyes flicking up to the night sky. "Well, not just that. I sometimes bring in rare foods and items amongst other things, but medicines are one big thing."
"And what? You get a little bit of profit off that?"
"Only a little bit. My prices a lot cheaper than the other smugglers who came here. They tried to rip everyone off."
Sam growled, "And that's supposed to make things seem better?"
"Because if I wasn't here, people in the islands who need critical supplies will end up suffering!" Aidan snapped, fists clenched, "But certain idiots would rather keep this stuff stuck in their coffers back home. How else are folks are going to get it?"
Sam opened his mouth to reply, but the words faded away just as quickly as his anger. "W-What? This stuff is being horded away?"
"In a way, yeah."
Sam frowned, he wanted to snap at Aidan. Smuggling was a crime; he was sure of it. And yet, if something fishy was going on…
"Alright." He started with a sigh, shaking his arms loose. "Tell me about this from the beginning."
Aidan hopped over to one of the trees… and incredibly managed to push himself up onto his hind legs. They quivered as he managed to lean against the tree, wincing as he did so. Sam bite his lip, "Aidan… are you sure you can do that?"
The Froakie pulled a thin grimace, "Yeah, I'll be fine… just… strengthening my legs."
Gulping, he continued, "Well… remember that I mentioned that I came from Sand, and my family was rich?"
"Yeah." Sam said, crossing his arms, "You decided to leave for Robinswood right?"
"That was part of it." Aidan admitted, eyes closed, "I was originally going to join the family trade business. Hell, I was already volunteering in it. But that's when I started looking deeper on the actual goods being traded and regulated."
"Assume I'm an idiot when it comes to all this." Sam said, "I know there is a lot more trade today compared to even a few years ago."
"You are right there. You've seen some of the items that are traded. We're talking food, clothing, orbs and medicines. Frankly there is a lot. Now, as part of all the trade agreements, some goods are regulated or banned."
"Like what?" Sam asked.
Aidan shook his head, "There are too many to list, but whilst there are some items which definitely deserve to stay on that list, but as I started working… I noticed some of them shouldn't have even been on there at all. I mean, I'm talking about special medicines that can alleviate headaches, viruses or other illnesses. There are rare fruits that can help improve health. Rare books that can help teach Pokémon how to reinforce their homes or learn new skills."
"Okay, then why would that be a problem?" Sam questioned, his ears tilting forward as his curiosity began to build up.
The Froakie nearly spat his reply out, "Bureaucratic bullshit. They say that the items in question are outdated, too dangerous or not as effective as the stuff otherwise available. The truth is, many of the guys in charge either don't want those products cutting into their bottom line, or they are hording that stuff for themselves and stopping the folks who actually need it from getting it."
He opened his eyes again, "With all the restrictions on the continents, that only incentivised the worst kind of smugglers to go on crime sprees and sell of those goods at insane prices, and people are going out of the way to ruin themselves out of Poke to get them. When I tried to tell my father about all this, along with the other leaders back on Sand…"
Sam caught a glimpse of Aidan's arm quivering, his hand squeezed tight enough it was going whiter than normal. "I was laughed out, and on top of already being seen as that 'weird' family member, my reputation in Sand only got ruined even further."
"You… you were treated badly back home?" Sam asked back, the desire to reach out and pat his partner's shoulder growing.
With a nod, he continued, "I was kinda shoved around as a kid. I wasn't slated to take over the company, and I was different enough that most folks didn't want much to do with me. After everything, I just had enough. When I tried to set up a separate business, they dropped the prices so low I couldn't compete. After seeing what they were doing with the goods there, and how many people needed them... I figured I had little left to lose by getting into smuggling. If I could cut the prices on them goods, I could push out the cruellest smugglers out, and be a pain in the ass of the elite. Actually, worked for a while." He puffed up his cheeks, "But then I got caught."
Wincing again, Aidan finally dropped down from his lean and back onto four limbs. Sam instinctively took a step forward, but Aidan merely raised a hand to stop him, "I managed to get on the first ship out of Sahra City and made my way here. After a while, once I saw similar problems going on here, and I started to establish a little smuggling network here too."
He managed a shrug, "It's just a side thing though, I'm genuine in wanting to do exploring. It's part of the reason why people didn't like me back in Sand. There never was a massive investment in exploration over there."
Aidan sighed, focusing his gaze directly onto Sam himself. "So, there it is, my life story for you. Like I said, I wanted to give things a little more time but stuff… has kinda got in the way of that."
Silence reigned, Sam's heart slowly pounding hard in his chest. It took him a moment to realise that Aidan was waiting for him to reply.
I mean… smuggling anything is a crime… good intentions or not… he is committing an illegal act… but at the same time… he's been a good friend. And if he is doing things because of some really screwed up shit… especially after the kind of life he has lived?
Sam let out a heavy sigh, stepping up to Aidan and patting his shoulder with a furred hand. "Well… I can understand why you went ahead with this. To be honest… err…"
"Go on." Aidan quietly urged.
The Scorbunny hesitated, "If you want me to join you… I can't say I would actually do smuggling… but I can keep quiet about it. If you really are doing it for a genuinely good reason, then I won't stand in the way."
A small smile slowly spread across the frog's face as he slumped, less from worry, but relief. "I'm glad to hear that. That would be all I ask."
"Why did you tell me this then?" Sam asked, "You could have just kept quiet about this and I would have been none the wiser."
Aidan shrugged, "Well… after what we've been through and with everything happening, I figured I'd be honest with you. You'd figure it out eventually and I guess a part of me wants to leave the door open, in case you wanted to join. But since you don't, that's fine too."
Sam tilted his head at that, I suppose that makes sense. At least he is trying to be upfront with me.
Aidan began to turn towards the trees, "Come on, I didn't bring us out here just to chat."
He hopped on into the trees, thankfully a lot slower this time than before, enough that Sam only needed to walk to keep up with him. "Then… why else did you bring us out here?"
"We've got a transaction."
Aidan led the way through the undergrowth, with only the twinkling stars above their head to light their way. Sam could sense he would have got lost the moment he would try and make his own way through the woods. But Aidan seemed to have a firm idea of where they were headed, and soon, they cleared the trees and found themselves within a larger clearing.
Sam tilted an ear at the sight of a very small carriage that came complete with a shroud over the top of it. It was catered to by a Pansage and an Aron who stood nearby. The green monkey towards the new arrivals, face composed and lips pressed tight together. "Aidan. What are you playing at?"
Aidan merely bowed his head, "Just an assistant, you can trust him."
The monkey and armoured Pokémon glanced at each other with narrowed eyes, and even in the dark, Sam could tell they were flicking their gazes over to him. As if scanning for any sort of sign of incoming betrayal. He felt himself stiffen, weary of one of them lunging forward at him. He knew how twitchy Greg's companions were, no doubt these guys would be the same.
Both however seemed to relax, and the monkey turned back towards Aidan. "You have the Poke?"
"It'll be handed to you back at the beach. I have someone there waiting for you, as previously agreed." Aidan said, "What about the package?"
The Pansage stepped up towards the cart and reached underneath the canvas to pull out a small box, barely bigger than one's hand and tossed it over towards the water-type. Easily catching it with one hand, Aidan flicked open a lid built into the top. Filling the box was a strange green powder, one that looked like it had the consistency of sand. Aidan leaned in closer, inspecting the contents before closing the lid and tossing the box over. "Looks good. Head further up the trail, there will be someone there waiting to offload it all."
Nodding, the Pansage replaced the box as the Aron began to move towards the front of the carriage, about ready to start pulling it, Sam guessed. He leaned in closer towards Aidan, one eye narrowed and focused on the two other Pokémon. "What was that he just showed you?" he asked.
"Healing Powder." Aidan explained, "It can help clear up pretty much any affliction you have. Paralysis, Poisoning, the lot."
"And why was it banned?"
"Eh… it's pretty bitter. Tastes nasty as all hell."
Sam frowned at the words, "Bitter? That's it?"
Aidan shrugged, "Well, apparently people can get addicted to it. But that is unlikely as long as you are careful with how much you take. Plus, to get rid of the taste, it can be mixed in with other stuff to do that."
Sam's frown only deepened. That's… pretty tame. I mean, if it can be carefully monitored then that's fair… but if people can get addicted to it…
"I know what you are thinking." Aidan confirmed, "I don't distribute a lot of powder to individuals at any time. That way I can make sure the chances of that happening are nil."
Nodding, Sam watched as the two smugglers began to move the carriage towards a path cutting through the trees, heading further to the west. His stomach churned, a part of his screaming that this was wrong. Even with the best of intentions, this was just wrong. And yet… this was Aidan he was thinking about here. Given everything he had seen Aidan do with him back in Robinswood and in Broken Wood… he just couldn't accept the possibility that the Froakie would allow for anything bad to happen. He did go and find Dan for a start… helped Bruce and helped himself.
"You alright?" Aidan asked, voice lowering.
In that moment, the Scorbunny realised he hadn't been breathing, and took in a deep, sharp hiss of air. "Y-Yeah… I don't want any part in this but… I trust you are doing the right thing in this…"
"That's fine. That's all I really ask. I wouldn't want you to get involved in this anyway."
Aidan did one small hop forward, his eyes fixed on the back of the carriage as it approached the edge of the clearing. "It's good to have someone who understands why I have to do this."
Sam tilted an ear again, his gut churning even more. "What makes you say that?"
The Froakie was already clenching his fist again, "Just some goodie-two-shoes." He growled, "Even when I have tried to explain that things like Healing Powder are safe if kept carefully managed, they still buy into the lies of the elite and think it's the most important thing in the world to stop people getting the help they need." Groaning, Aidan grasped his head and shook it hard. "Just thinking about it gives me a headache… I had to deal with enough of that back home. And that damn Pikachu and his mates always kept sticking their heads into my business!"
Sam rubbed the back of his head, "Well, you can't exactly blame them for being like that. They are only trying to follow the rules-"
His heart stopped dead, a cold chill settling over him as the memory rushed to the surface… all the way back from when he first awoke…
The yellow body from before he recognised as a Pikachu. Their eyes were shut and their face was relaxed… but the amount of blood covering them, especially round their neck…
"B-But this isn't just killing! You've torn them apart!"
"Seriously, if they had just opened their eyes for one minute… hey, Sam? What's wrong?"
Sam narrowed his eyes, his gaze burning into Aidan who stood across the way in the clearing.
"Oh, I was just thinking about those bandits? One of them was a Swampert right?"
"Yeah? What about it?"
"Just glad that guy got caught. Last I heard he was stealing a lot of supplies of the caravans."
"Sam?"
Staring down Aidan, Sam couldn't stop his body tremoring. And when he finally spoke, his voice was deeper, and he struggled hold it together. "What… did you just say about a Pikachu?"
Aidan blinked in confusion, before rubbing the back of his head with a hiss of air, "Did… I say a Pikachu? I meant a Pachirisu." He let out a clearly nervous chuckle. "I-I still get them mixed up a-"
"Stop lying to me!" Sam screamed, loud enough for Aidan to shuffle back. In the corner of his eye, the carriage, on the trail, shuddered to a halt. Sam panted; his eyes focused now purely on Aidan. "What about a Pikachu?" he questioned, firmer and far more direct.
Aidan seemed to hesitate, as if trying to work out another way of talking his way out.
Before finally closing his eyes and bowing his head. "…this operation has gone rather well… until a resident Pikachu and his Squirtle friend started snooping around."
A light blue coloured turtle, its head twisted at an awkward angle.
"…I tried to encourage them to look the other way, to stop chasing this all up but they refused to back down… they were going out to find evidence to bring to the Guild…" Aidan's voice quivered for a second, "So I decided to send a group Pokémon to convince them to back off… including a Swampert."
Sam's blood once more began to pump, now pounding in his ears as his whole body wouldn't stop twitching. His mind racing. Shock. Confusion. Betrayal. Anger. Rage. All of these emotions flowed through, brewing into a fire that burned in his chest. This wasn't about good intentions any more. A line had been crossed. Something Sam couldn't stand.
Aidan raised his hands slowly, his own voice quivering. "Look… I didn't-"
Sam barely registered his cry as the Scorbunny shot across the distance with Quick Attack, his foot flying into the smuggler's face with an almighty crack.
Aidan bounced across the grassy ground, grunting as he slid to a halt. The Aron and Pansage sprinted over to his side, looks of shock on their face as the Froakie began to push himself up to his feet. "Damn it Sam!" he managed snap, clutching his head as he pushed himself up, "For someone who listens a lot you do tend to throw yourself into trouble a lot do you!?"
"You had them killed!" Sam bellowed at the top of lungs, the flame within threatening to burn the fire type up. "How can you be helping Pokémon if you are also killing them too!?"
"I didn't order that idiot Greg to kill them!" Aidan snapped, eyes narrowing as he finally got back on his four feet. "And given that he did, it must have been in self-defence."
"Bullshit! I saw the bodies; Greg and his goons tore them apart! If you think running this operation is helping people, then you've lost it!" Sam shook his head, "Hiding a small little bit of smuggling is one thing, but hiding a cause behind murder? I'll never do that!"
Aidan's features softened, his two compatriots glancing nervously over at their employer. "I suppose… this means you are going to the authorities?" he quietly asked, almost pleadingly.
Sam bared his buckteeth, eyes burning as he locked onto Aidan. I can't let him get away with this! Even if he didn't intend for them to die, the fact he still sent Greg after them to do harm… I just can't stand by!
When his next words came out, they were barely more than a hiss. "You can count on that. I'm not letting you get away with this."
Aidan held his gaze for a moment longer, lips twitching for the briefest of moments.
Then he closed his eyes with a shake of his head, sighing softly. "Well. Sorry I have to do this."
His eyes snapped open, the Froakie leaping upright into a bipedal stance. In a moment, one ball of water swirled into existence in between his hands. A second later, the hands came apart and the ball split into two. In silence, Aidan took one step forward and threw the balls towards the Scorbunny.
Sam yelped in surprise as he rolled out of the way of the first water ball, the projectile sailing past where his head would have been to fly into a tree over his shoulder with a bang.
The second he wasn't so lucky with. The projectile slamming into his chest like a cannon ball. Sam felt all the air rush out of his lungs, the flame within immediately getting smothered under the ice-cold water. He felt himself fly… and immediately slam back down to the ground, bouncing once before rolling across the grass and skidding to a halt.
Pain pulsed through every part of his body, the rabbit crying out as he tried to pick himself back up, a sharper pulse rushing up through his limbs with every little movement. W-Water Pulse… how did Aidan know- He coughed, shakingly managing to get himself to his knees in find the three smugglers approaching him from three directions, with Aidan positioned at the centre of them, his eyes narrowing and his voice suddenly deep. "You know… I do kinda like you Sam. We've made a pretty good team so far, what with Broken Wood and that."
"What's your point?" Sam gasped, struggling to draw air back into his lungs.
"I meant what I said with the Guild." Aidan replied, crossing his arms, "We can still join, pretend this never happened and go on with our lives. We could make a real impact in the world. Help Pokémon."
His eyes narrowed even further, "I would like that. So, I'm giving you one more chance. Forget this ever happened, and we can go back to adventuring."
Sam narrowed his eyes, feeling the diminished flame starting to reignite in his chest. That Water Pulse may have hurt like hell, but it wasn't the Hydro Pump that Greg had nearly killed him with. Grass and Steel Types too… something that fire could definitely hurt. Even if he couldn't beat them… he could just create an opening to escape…
"I-I could never just forget all of this…" Sam managed to utter, spitting into the grass as he strained to get himself back upright. "I'll tell you the same thing I told Greg."
Straightening himself up, he looked at Aidan – his former partner – in the eye.
"I'd rather die."
Aidan's fists clenched, a hiss escaping his mouth as he began to step forward towards the Scorbunny. "Then you give me no choice…"
He started to rise to his feet, a new water pulse beginning to charge, "Goodbye old friend!"
"Not today asshole!"
Aidan blinked, his eyes widening in surprise at the new voice, "W-Who was-"
A brown shape flashed through the darkness above his head, sailing straight into Aidan with a salvo of two kicks straight into his face. Aidan let out a pained roar, flying back once more and sending his partners scrambling back to join him. The brown shape flipped backwards onto the ground in front of Sam, one fluffy ear coiled in and ready to strike.
Sam could barely hide his gasp, "Alice!?"
Alice settled into a more combat ready stance, only taking a brief glance back to check Sam over before focusing her gaze ahead. Following her eyes, he could see Aidan surrounded by his two smuggler partners, head clutched deeply in his hands and stuck between groaning and crying out.
"I knew you were hiding something Aidan." Alice stated with a clear bite in her tone. "But I never thought you'd stoop so low."
Aidan's pained eyes locked onto the Buneary, "Alice… Alice, Alice you little damn wi-agh!"
He tightened the grip on his head, a curse escaping his lips. Sam frowned, stumbling over to Alice's side. Damn, those headaches must be killing the poor guy. "How… how did you find us?" Sam managed to ask.
In the corner of his eye, Alice glanced once more over at him. "I've been following Aidan for a while, but I knew he was up to something when I saw him with you in the library." She pulled a shrug, "I figured Aidan was doing something screwed up around here, but never this.".
She focused her eyes on the still pained Aidan, "So what's the matter Aidan? Lost your tongue?"
Snarling, Aidan forced himself back onto four feet to face them. "You have always been a piece of shit Alice. Always have, always will be." He shook his head like a wet dog, his entire body tremoring. "You know what? I've had enough of this. I'm done with you constantly butting your head in my business! And I'm sick of the fact you have somehow managed to bend Sam here to your whims!"
Sam bristled up, the fire in his chest now beginning to flare fully once more. "No one manage to 'bent' me to their whims at all! The only one who has lied to me has been you!"
"Enough!" Aidan roared, one arm pulling up as he settled into a new stance. "I was going to hold this back for as long as I can… but I don't think I can do that anymore. Let me show you how strong I truly am!"
In that moment, Aidan's entire body was enveloped in white-blue light. Sam recoiled, his white paw shading his eyes from the bright glow. Narrowing his eyes, he struggled to focus his view back onto the Froakie.
Only it wasn't quite a Froakie anymore. Sam could only gasp as Aidan's form began to shift and change shape, growing to become twice the size he was before. Finally, with a brief flash, the light was blasted away from the Pokémon.
And left a completely new Pokémon in his place. Aidan's body was now a much darker blue this time, with a pair of spikes sweeping back from the top of his yellow eyes. A pair of eyes now locked on the two rabbits standing across from him.
Sam looked over to find Alice's eyes were now wide, struggling to hide her own surprise. "Evolution." She managed to utter out. "He's a Frogadier now…"
The Scorbunny narrowed his eyes. The fact that Aidan was able to stand on two legs and the fact that Aidan was able to use Water Pulse like that must have indicators that Aidan was ready to evolve! How did I never see that? I guess I was still shaky over everything that's happened!
Aidan laughed, inspecting his new hand in front of him with a sparkle in his eye. "Finally!" he exclaimed, his voice deeper. "Those headaches were really starting to fucking kill me! I've held back on evolving for so long!"
Eyes narrowing, he jabbed a finger at the two rabbits. "Now! Cut them down!"
With a bark of acknowledgement, the Pansage and Aron charged towards them.
Sam slid his foot back, feeling the fire inside burn bright. "We're gonna have to work together Alice!"
In the corner of his eye, he could see Alice's head turn and return a sharp nod. "I'll deal with the Aron, the ape's all yours."
With that, Alice bounced forwards at the steel type, and Sam shot left to face the Pansage head on.
The monkey sprinted towards him on all fours, teeth bared as he charged. Fire vs Grass, should be easy!
Thankfully, even in the grass, little pebbles must have been present, and Sam managed to boot away an Ember straight at the grass-type. Grunting, the Pansage leapt to one side, the fireball striking the ground where he once stood. Sam pulled his foot back to fire off another attack, but within a blink of an eye it was already upon him.
Its claws flashed through the air at him, and Sam immediately leapt back once, then twice as the monkey chased after him. It shrieked all the while, each Fury Swipe only just missing Sam as he tried to beat a retreat. I can't get an ember off like this! Wait! I still have Quick Attack!
He kicked back extra hard on the next swipe, opening up some distance between him and the Pansage. He sprinted back forward, willing himself to go faster.
His foe attempted to swipe him again, but his claws only cut through thin air.
Sam blinked back into existence behind the Pansage, and with the briefest flash of a grin, booted another Ember into his back. The monkey cried out, thrown down onto his front with a thud. Wincing, he tried to push himself back up to his feet and bared his fangs, daring the Scorbunny to give it another shot.
He promptly answered by kicking a fresh fireball straight into the monkey's face. The Pansage let a faint gasp as he keeled over onto his back, unconscious and out of the fight.
"I've got mine!" Sam cheered, spinning round to find Alice punching the Aron in the face with a seemingly darker ear. "Great!" she barked, "Give me a hand with this guy!"
Sam jerked up straight, "I'm coming!" he shouted as he sprinted towards them.
Another ear-punch sent the Aron skidding back with a grunt, "Rock Smash!?" he rumbled, "How d- forget it, try dodging this!"
A crackle of blue energy flowed around the Aron. Instantly, Alice leapt back, "Shock Wave! Watch out!"
Sam barely registered it, "Sh-"
Alice bounced into the air just as the blue electric attack shot out from the Aron, flying straight towards him.
The Scorbunny could only cry out in agony as the bolt hit him. Pain surged through him as if he had just been set alight, stabbing into every part of his body.
It only lasted a couple of seconds, but as the discharged faded away, his limbs continued to jerk uncontrollably and the Scorbunny collapsing to his knees, only a single arm strong enough to keep himself up. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to fight off the now reduced but sharp pain that surged through him. His fur was stuck on end, his ears ringing with the crackle of electricity.
He opened his eyes just in time to see Alice throw off another Rock Smash, sending the Aron tumbling across the field into a battered heap. The Buneary's head swivelled left and right, "Aidan!? Where are you hiding!?" she shouted, a snarl on her lips.
Her eyes briefly passed over Sam, only to spring back and widen. "Shit! Are you still breathing there?"
Aidan silently fell in from above, touching down behind her. Before Sam could even shout, Aidan's glowing fist had already flown into Alice's side. She grunted as she was shoved onto her front. But just as quickly threw herself back onto her feet and charging back at Aidan, her ears throwing out punch after punch at the Frogadier. Aidan smirked as he casually dodged each punch with a twist to the side. With an angry yell, she jumped into the air, ready to fire off another Double Kick at the frog's head.
Sam blinked, and heard Alice's gasp.
Aidan had grabbed hold of her feet mid-attack, the Buneary's eyes wide with shock as her opponent threw one hand back and charged up another Water Pulse.
The injured Scorbunny could only watch as the water ball struck Alice hard. The rabbit screamed as she was thrown into the air and crashed back down to earth with a crack. Shivering, Alice struggled to push herself back up again, teeth gritted… only to collapse back into a heap, panting away.
A cruel laugh escaped Aidan's mouth, "By Arceus! That was too satisfying!" The Frogadier coughed, wiping his forehead with one hand. "Well, it's been fun Alice." He purred, stepping forward towards her on two legs and tightening his fist. Alice winced, trying to pull herself away, "But I think that this game is up. Might as well end your cursed existence."
Sam's heart threatened to burst out his chest, the fire in his chest raging once again. "Get away from her Aidan!" he barked, willing his limbs to stop shaking and throwing himself back up to his feet. His entire body protested at the sudden movement, but biting his lip Sam manage to stay upright. I'm… not letting Aidan get away with this!
Aidan raised a brow, opening his hand up to face him again. "And what are you going to do? Water types beat fire types. I'm one whole evolution ahead of you. And that's before you see what state you're in."
Shivering, Sam knew that Aidan was right. He held all the cards. Quick Attack wouldn't do enough on its own, and Ember might not even hurt Aidan at this point. But the fire in the Scorbunny only burned hotter than ever. To give up now would mean death. Not just for him, but for Alice too.
I can't… I won't give up now!
He took one painful step, then two, and began to sprint towards him. With a horrific yell, Sam kicked out his attack.
But instead of the sound of fire igniting, his ears picked up the crackle of electricity. A yellow ball of electricity sparked into life, growing bigger as it flew towards its target.
Aidan could only let out a surprised 'What?!' as the orb sailed into him, lifting the Frogadier off his feet and flinging him away. Sam skidded to a halt, watching in shock as Aidan cartwheeled across the ground and into a tree. The snap rung in his ears like a bell. H-How did I do that!?
"E-Electro Ball?" Alice managed to pant, looking up at him with her mouth agape.
He looked down at himself, finding the little yellow flickers of electricity flowing around him. That electric attack… I must have been charged up!
Sam clenched his fists, Electro Ball huh? Should be handy against water types then!
"Sam watch out!"
His head snapped back up in time to find Aidan throwing another Water Pulse straight at him.
His body still quivering, there was no way for him to dodge it. He held his arms out in front of him, braced for the impact.
And it hit hard. A wave of pain rushed up his arms, the ball of water shoving him back across the ground. Sam dug his feet in, gritting his teeth as he pushed back-
Wait – how am I-
The ball dissipated before him, leaving Sam standing. His arms ached and pulsed… but compared to the last water-type attack...
That felt like nothing!
Aidan straightened up, and it was his turn for his mouth to hang open. "H-How did you survive that?"
Sam blinked in confusion. That should have been the end of him, and yet, here he was.
And that is when he noticed the glow. He looked down again to find a soft blue glow flow around him, sheathing his entire body. "What is this!?" Aidan growled.
Alice pushed herself up that little bit more, a tiny grin straining to emerge across her face. "Libero."
"Lib-what?"
The Buneary looked over at the Frogadier with a truly cathartic and smug look. "Scorbunny's hidden ability. It changes one's type to the type of the move they are about to use. That means your water type moves won't hurt him as much, and his electric attack will hit you a lot harder."
Her grin grew that little bit bigger. "You aren't as clever as you think you are."
Aidan quivered, his eyes burning with rage.
Alice spun round to Sam, "Now! Hit him again!"
Sam sprung forward again, "Got it!".
Sliding his foot forward, he felt the electricity surge through him as another Electro Ball went flying forward. This time though, Aidan was ready, the Frogadier flinging himself forward and under the ball. As it sailed into the trees, he had rolled next to Alice, readying another Water Pulse as he sprung back to his feet. "That Libero won't save you Sam! One more attack and you're finished!"
Stumbling, Sam struggled to stay upright, his entire body screaming in protest as he tried to spark another Electro Ball… but he knew Aidan would get to him first.
He braced for the final blow.
Aidan started to throw-
Alice sprung backwards, crying out as she sailed straight into Aidan. Crying out, Aidan's Water Pulse sailed away. Sam flinched, ducking as the ball of water skimmed past his head and into the trees behind him. A near miss!
"Sam!" Alice screamed, "Now!"
He didn't hesitate, his feet throwing off sparks as he sent the Electro Ball flying.
Aidan's roar was cut short as his head snapped back as the orb struck his chin, lifting the frog clear off the ground. He sailed through the air, body flailing before he finally struck the ground with a horrific crack and crumpled into a bruised mess.
Sam keeled over, catching his hands against his knees to hold himself up with the remaining strength he had left. I… I did it…
Aidan's body stirred, a quiet moan rising from him.
A chill fell down on him like an axe as his old partner pushed himself back up to his feet. Aidan shuddered, clearly struggling to stay up himself. "You…" he hissed, eyes almost literally on fire, "You're dead!"
He took a step forward. Sam shuddered, feeling his face beginning to get wet. He tried to blink the tears away, but it was no use. He was in no state to fire another attack off. It was over.
They were going to die.
"Hey! I think they went this way!"
Aidan stiffened, his head snapping upwards. Sam glanced over his shoulder, where within the gloom of the trees, faint orange lights flickered in and out in the dark. "I can see something ahead!" came a familiar voice. "I'll have a look!"
J-Jack…
Aidan's eyes flicked back and forth between the injured or fainted Pokémon, and the lights at Sam's back. As if trying to debate wherever or not he should take his chances at killing his foes. Sam could feel the scales shifting, ready to tip one way or another.
Fist's clenching, Aidan shook his head. "Damn it… you've got lucky this time."
He jabbed a finger at Sam, hatred evident in his expression. "But mark my words! I trusted you. I actually thought you were my friend! But I'm not letting you get in my way!" Aidan turned away from him. "Goodbye, old friend."
And with that, Aidan sprinted away into the trees.
Sam watched him go, his entire body shuddering out of his control. It's over…
A quiet groan brushed by his ears, and Sam glanced over to find Alice trying to sit up, only to slump back down onto her back. Wincing, he started to stumble towards her. Every part of his body was protesting, begging him to stop. But he pressed on, trying to get to her side.
He was literally right next to her when his legs finally gave up, and with an understandable lack of grace, unceremoniously toppled face first into the ground next to her.
Sam lay there in silence, only the sound of his own breathing confirming that he was still awake or even alive. His mind went to and from, bordering on the edge of unconsciousness.
"Sam…" Alice uttered, "Are you dead?"
Blinking, Sam coughed and rolled his head towards the source of the sound. Alice's eyes were half closed, but with her head rolled over, they were focused straight on him.
"Y-yeah…" he snarked weakly. "You?"
She let out a pained huff that could only indicate amusement. "Yeah."
They remained silent again, the sounds of the approaching search parties getting ever closer.
"Nice… moves by the way." She whispered.
The Scorbunny managed to nod softly back. "Thanks… and Alice?"
"Yeah?"
"…thank you… I wouldn't have got out without you…"
Alice didn't immediately respond, but even in his state, Sam saw – or at least thought he saw – the flicker of a tear in one of the Buneary's eyes.
"S-sure."
The beat of wings finally reached Sam's ears, as the bug-like form of Jack hovered over their heads. "Holy- are you two okay? What happened?"
Sam closed his eyes, letting out a little sigh. "That's… a long story…"
And in record time, Chapter XX is now done! I will probably slow down now, as I will be catching up with other projects, as well as revisiting the first few chapters based on some of the feedback I have recieved. Those first chapters were done when I was less committed to writing GoB, so I figured I might as well sort them out and improve them whilst working on Chapter XXI. Either way, hope you have enjoyed this one!