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“Na… Na-Nana…” Tears continued to leak out of Renne’s slitted pair of eyes despite the young Noibat’s attempts to wipe them away. His mother had gone off to run an errand again and this almost always meant that he would be left all alone in their home until she returned, usually around lunchtime. He knew that she had other responsibilities besides taking care of him, but he simply could not fathom the reason why she was unwilling to bring him along with her: she would have an easier time protecting him if he always remained in her sights. With that thought in mind, he secretly tailed his mother at a distance but as he was unfamiliar with the surroundings, he lost sight of her and somehow ended up in a park. He immediately scaled up a tree to get a good vantage point from which to look for his mother but his efforts bore no fruition. The Noibat would have returned back to solid ground had he not encountered a slight problem: in his impatience to find his mother, he had completely misjudged the height of the tree and was now rooted to his current spot out of fear.

“Crying won’t solve anything, boy,” a smooth and fluid baritone voice intoned in a straightforward manner.

Renne blinked and looked down, spotting a jackal-like Pokémon who was giving him a fixed stare. The Lucario’s cool grey eyes intimidated Renne as he involuntarily let out of whimper and started to cry again. “Na-Nana…”

“Enough with the sniffles and whimpers,” Noir remarked bluntly, reducing Renne’s sobbing to soft sniffles. “You have a choice to make—jump down right now…or remain trapped in that tree all day.”

The Noibat wordlessly eyed Noir before his gaze wandered to the ground. “I-is he serious?!” Renne mulled apprehensively. “I…could very well die, especially from this height…but if I don’t do it, I w-won’t be able to find Nana.” He audibly gulped as he came to a decision. “Okay, here…I…GO!” Renne shut his eyes and promptly pushed himself off the tree, immediately feeling air rush past the black fur covering his chest and hips. At that point, Renne was absolutely sure that he was going to die so imagine his surprise when he felt a pair of strong paws wrap around his tiny frame.

“Good choice,” the Noibat heard Noir compliment him as he slowly lifted his eyelids and looked up at the Lucario who sported a slight quirk of satisfaction at the corner of his mouth. “You’re definitely strong.”

Noir crouched down and gently set the young Sound Wave Pokémon down onto the ground. “Don’t forget, little bat,” the Lucario added, maintaining his crouched position as he beat the left side of his chest twice, “in the end, all you can count on is your own strength.”

A smile slowly spread across Renne’s visage as he stared up at Noir in veneration. “Ne!” was his passionate and affirmative response. The Noibat then scooted underneath Noir’s legs, nuzzling them happily before he crawled away in search of his mother with renewed vigour.

“Hmph,” Noir snorted in amusement at the sight of Renne’s exuberance. He murmured, “This world is full of evil— evil beyond purpose or reason. Our only saving grace is the light that shines within the hearts of children.” The Lucario stood up and regarded the clear blue sky, clenching his forepaws into fists. “But even they’re not safe. There’ll always be opportunists looking to exploit their innocence. Society is as rotten as it gets.” Lowering his head with an agitated sigh, he resumed his stroll through the park but took no more than ten steps before a series of tremors rocked the ground, forcing Noir to lower his centre of gravity to avoid from being knocked off his feet.

The vibrations soon died down, and Noir’s eyes frantically darted in all directions. “What was that?” he asked himself.

*BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!*

Those trio of explosions caught Noir’s attention as he swiftly turned his head towards the direction from which they came from and immediately registered the columns of black smoke rising many kilometres into the air. “That’s…” His heart immediately filled with dread as those explosions occurred near the neighbourhood in which he lived, and his thoughts became centred on a certain fox. “Rikuo… Oh no, Rikuo!”

Noir promptly lowered his upper body and planted both forepaws on the ground, tensed his leg muscles as he siphoned his energy into them and rocketed forward in the direction of his neighbourhood, leaving behind a flurry of black rose petals in his wake.

***

Even before he got hit by a barrage of Aura Spheres, Ardor was having a rotten day.

He woke up that day feeling sore all over, realizing that he had fallen off his bed. He must have lain on the hard wooden floor all night before waking. And then, when he was tasked to scout the city by his mentor, Darius, he was mistaken as a thief by a shopping citizen at the local herb store, resulting in a wild chase across the city courtesy of the city guards. After that, he crossed paths with this annoying Furret who seemed hell-bent on knowing everything about him and Darius.

The Quilava thought that his day could not get any worse but was soon cursing his luck when a huge explosion rocked the whole city. Ardor, by instinct, went to check what caused the explosion, only to be nearly stomped by a giant moving statue.

“What in the name of—”

He couldn’t even finish what he was going to say as he was suddenly tackled over by a hulk of a Pokémon. Instincts kicking in, fire burst out from his head and rear back, quickly releasing him from the Pokémon’s iron-like grip. Using the short moment of confusion, Ardor flipped over, kneed the larger Pokémon and locked it in a strong chokehold.

“Gck! Wh-what are ya doin’, mate?”

Ardor blinked as the voice that stimulated his sense of hearing sounded rather familiar. Looking to state his curiosity, he looked over the Pokémon he was strangling: tall and muscular, wearing a huge brown fedora, leather gloves and a red pendant. It was Luke, the leader of the Explorers.

“Sorry ‘bout that.” Ardor quickly released the Swampert who immediately gasped for breath. “But please refrain from tackling me from behind…or others for that matter.”

“Y-yeah, I can see yer reasonin’,” Luke rasped, “but I was saving you from the Guardian Statue.”

“Saving?” Ardor looked back at the spot where he stood seconds ago. The cobblestone pavement was now a huge smoking crater. Had the Swampert not tackled him, he’d be toasted, or worse. He coughed nervously and mumbled, “Thanks.”

The Swampert grinned at him. “No prob. Now get to safety. The Guilds will handle this.”

A movement behind Luke caught Ardor’s attention. He tensed, readying Incinerate on both of his arms just in case he would be encountering hostiles; however, it was just a pair of Pokémon consisting of an old Trokoal and an excited-looking Wartortle.

“You’re the leader of the Explorers Guild, right?” the Wartortle asked with an extremely bright smile.

“Er… yeah. And you are?”

“I’m Aqua, and gramps here is Hector,” she replied brightly, which seemed rather ironic given her typing. “So, what should we do?”

“Forgive my granddaughter for her…enthusiasm…but she wanted to help you lads stop this giant statue, and I find myself wanting to offer aid as well.” The old Torkoal had a determined look on his face.

Luke nodded, tipping his hat slightly. “Cheers, mates,” he thanked them. “Awright, all you need to do is this.”

Ardor tuned out their conversation as he observed the Guardian Statue. It was unlike anything he’d ever seen, standing over three meters tall with six eye-like gemstones on its white body which was adorned by strange black patterns and yellow-coloured ‘bands’ on its wrists and shoulders. Large, leafy vegetation was present around its shoulders, back and feet.

Looking back to Luke, Ardor noticed that he had gathered a few Pokémon with him. There was a Prinplup with a commanding air around him and a Shinx standing guard beside the former.

“Captain Tristan Frosteri and Lieutenant Commander Tordon Ahlström,” the Shinx announced their identities to Luke. “We’re ready to offer our assistance.”

Luke took a step back, a different kind of sweat trickling down his face as his face paled considerably. “N-no one told me that I’d be dealing with the Royal Fleet!” he stammered. “I-I apologize, officers. W-we’re doing the best we can to—”

“Ahlström!” the Prinplup snapped. “That pride of yours is really starting to grate on my nerves! Unless you plan to get demoted, I suggest you live by the idiom ‘silent as the grave’. Am I clear, Lieutenant Commander?”

The Shinx flinched and bowed his head in guilt. “Y-yes, sir.”

Tristan nodded before he turned to Luke. “Pay him no mind,” he told the nervous Swampert. “Like he said, we are here to offer our assistance. We have no intention of arresting you for negligence or anything like that.”

Luke relaxed considerably and told them of his plan. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure it won’t lay a finger on you,” the Swampert assured them. “Let’s get going before it destroys everything! The other Guilds are depending on us to keep this thing at bay!”

“So the Guilds are trying to save the city…” They seemed to have something planned. “Luke. Do you know where the Hunters are?” Ardor asked.

“Eh… not really, no.” Luke scratched his head. “But they’re evacuating the citizens. That much I know.”

Ardor nodded before he took off to a particular direction. “Thanks.”

“Hey! Where are ya goin’? It’s not save there!” Luke shouted. But the Quilava was already out of sight. The Swampert frowned in concern. He hoped that the young Fire-type knew what he was doing. For now though, he had a job to do.

***

Noir knelt down and surveyed the area from the vantage point of an unaffected shophouse—it was pandemonium. In contrast to the quiet and clean neighbourhood he was familiar with, what greeted him was an agglomeration of screams and explosions as the residents streamed out into the streets in panic and many buildings gave way due to the extensive damage afflicted upon them. He spotted his apartment building from the corner of his eye and produced a subtle sigh of relief: it had sustained minimal damage from the chaos, and thus was still standing.

“Rikuo should have gotten out safely,” he thought, eyeing the panic-stricken residents on the streets. “I could try to discern his energy signature, but there are too many variables at play here, two of which are the substantial amount of Pokémon and the tumultuous atmosphere. They make for too many distractions in my head. Still, I have to make sure that he’s safe.” The Lucario scanned the surroundings once again, his gaze ultimately settling on a Weavile who was barking out orders to several Pokémon. “That must be the Hunters’ soon-to-be leader. Let’s see what he’s made of.” Noir promptly jumped up and utilized ExtremeSpeed to make up the long distance between them.

“All right, listen up!” Sundance hollered to his subordinates. “The Explorers and Researchers are keepin’ the Great Statue busy so we Hunters are gonna hafta do our part by escorting the civilians here to safety!” He cleared his throat before he continued, “Thankfully, the gardens are still very much intact so make sure to lead these folks there! You guys got that?”

A Skuntank stepped forth and queried, “Uh… aren’t ya forgettin’ somethin’, Sunny?”

Sundance blinked at the lower-ranking Hunter as he scratched his right cheek innocently. “What?”

“Oh, for the love of—weren’t you talkin’ about stoppin’ them looters no more than two minutes ago?” a Pancham reminded him exasperatedly. She was one of the more vocal ones when it came to questioning Sundance’s leadership skills.

The Pancham’s reminder elicited a groan from Sundance as his shoulders drooped forward. “How could I forget?” he mumbled to himself. “Man, their timing couldn’t have been any worse.” The Weavile placed his claws on his waist as he mentally factored in the latest variable before he shouted, “Change of plans! Half of us will focus on helping the civilians while the other half deals with the looters. We’re a bit short-handed here, so things will be much easier if ya guys can somehow convince them looters to help us out.”

The Hunters collectively voiced their approval of Sundance’s orders and went to their assigned stations, leaving the Weavile behind with Kara.

“Tch, asking looters for help,” the Pancham grumbled as she lit up the leaf in her mouth with a Fire Stone. “I bet potential recruits were turned off by yer horrible handwriting.”

“Hey, I did the best I could, Kara!” Sundance yelled indignantly. “I didn’t have time to look over what I wrote, not with all of this going on! And in case you haven’t noticed, I have C-L-A-W-S!” With each letter, Sundance shoved the appendages closer and closer to the Pancham’s face.

Kara moved her leaf to the other side of her mouth as she smacked Sundance’s claws away. “Well, I don’t give a freakin’ D-A-M-N!” she countered heatedly. “If yer gonna be our leader, then ya gonna start mannin’ up instead of making half-assed excuses!”

Before the petty argument could escalate further, Noir chose to make his presence known by skidding to a halt in front of them.

“Whoa!” Sundance gasped out in surprise. “That was a close one, man. Ya coulda rammed right into us.”

“Highly unlikely considering that high-speed movement technique has served me well over the years,” Noir coolly responded, habitually brushing a paw across his chest fur.

The Hunters’ second-in-command crosses her arms and regarded the new arrival with a curious eye. She mused, “Where did this smug bastard come from? No, scratch that. This guy’s exudin’ confidence…and he looks like he ‘as some business with Sunny-boy here.” Kara duly stepped away from the Weavile. “How will ya deal this, Sunny-boy?”

Noir eyed Sundance with his trademark stern expression and asked bluntly, “Did you see a Fennekin come out from that building over there?” He then jerked a paw towards the aforementioned building some distance away from them.

Sundance blinked at Noir before he adopted a sympathetic visage. “Sorry,” he apologized, “but I wouldn’t know. With all of this chaos goin’ on, it’s kinda hard to keep track of the Pokemon that managed to get out to safety…but I think yer friend’s just fine. You should head on over to the gardens. I bet yer friend’s right there waitin’ for ya.” A broad grin suddenly stretched across the Weavile’s face. “Hey, you look kinda strong. How ‘bout ya help us out? We could—”

“Ya’re not aswerin’ the question, Sunny-boy,” Kara muttered under her breath as she watched the Lucario’s expression darken with each passing second. “This won’t be pretty.”

The Pancham’s prediction rang true as in the blink of an eye, Sundance was jerked forward by his collar and pinned against the wall by Noir.

“Oi, wha-whaddya think ya doin’?!” Sundance inhaled sharply. “Don’t ya know who—” He was promptly silenced when Noir slammed a paw right beside his face. Sundance slowly trailed his eyes up the length of the arm to which the paw was connected and met Noir’s glare.

“I know exactly who you are,” Noir articulated, his voice clearly deepening into one which befitted an emotionless assassin. “You’re Sundance, the heir to the Hunters’ leadership. Your particular guild practices a brand of secrecy, and I’m all too familiar with the way those kinds of organizations operate. I’m positive that you possess an extensive spy network to keep track of the movements of each and every Pokémon here.” The Lucario glanced at Kara over his shoulder. “Am I right?”

Kara took out the burning leaf in her mouth and puffed out some smoke. “Hmph, guess there’s no point in hidin’ it any longer,” she admitted nonchalantly.

Sundance’s jaw dropped at Kara’s casual attitude. “Hey, that was supposed to be a secret, Kara!”

The Pancham shrugged. “Not anymore it ain’t,” she countered. She gave Noir a sideways glance. “Call it a breach in privacy…but we Hunters gotta do our part in keepin’ the peace. This city’s becomin’ way too overpopulated for my likin’.”

“It’s not my place to judge how you do things,” Noir responded offhandedly, turning his attention back to Sundance. “So I ask you again—” He pushed his arm against Sundance’s throat. “—did you see a Fennekin come out of the building I specified? Yes…or no?”

“Gah…” Sundance’s face was beginning to turn blue from lack of oxygen. In spite of that, he managed to choke out, “N-no… I didn’t see no Fennekin. I-I know he’s the only Fennekin livin’ in this neighbourhood…but my scouts didn’t see him leave the building.”

“That’s all I needed to hear,” the Lucario snarled before he retracted his arm, the Weavile immediately sliding down the wall and taking a huge gulp of air. The former was just about to leave until Sundance reached out and grabbed a hold of Noir’s paw.

“Hold…it,” Sundance rasped as he slowly got back on his feet. Adjusting the collar around his neck, he suggested, “That apartment of yours doesn’t look like it’ll be collapsin’ anytime soon, so how ‘bout you go save the Pokemon trapped in the ones that weren’t as lucky as yours before you search for that Fennekin buddy of yours?” He relinquished his grip on Noir’s paw and tilted his head up at the Lucario. “Ya can sense their aura, can’t you? Are ya really gonna let them die?”

Noir turned his body at an angle and looked down at Sundance, noticing that there was a different air about the Weavile—an air of a leader. Smirking, Noir queried, “And why should I take orders from a weak leader?”

Sundance retained his unflinching and determined expression. “I know that you’re strong...,” he began. “Heck, I’m pretty sure ya coulda killed me back there if ya wanted to. I don’t have strength…but I do have power and with power, comes responsibility. My position as the heir of the Hunters makes me responsible for the safety of these folks, and I have no intention of backing down when the goin’ gets tough.” He narrowed his eyes at Noir. “I may be weak, but I will get stronger. I guarantee ya. So either ya save the ‘mon trapped in the buildings, or I will use my power to kick you out of this city when this is all over.”

With each word that the Weavile rolled off his tongue, the smirk on Noir’s features steadily grew wider. “Interesting,” he remarked, eyeing the Weavile with approval. “That ruthless streak of yours will get you far, boy. I suppose you’ve earned yourself a benefit of doubt.” The Lucario turned away from Sundance. “All right, I’ll save these ‘mon for you…but if I discover that Rikuo is not in the condition in which I expect him to be when I find him, I’m coming for you.” With that said, Noir walked away.

The Hunters’ heir looked on silently as the Lucario’s form grew smaller and smaller. Breathing out softly, he pivoted around his right foot and regarded his second-in-command. “What?” he asked upon noticing the smirk on Kara’s face.

“Didn’t think ya had it in ya, Sunny-boy,” she complimented, giving him a nod in the process. “Ya really are yer mom’s son.”

Sundance merely looked down at his claws. On one hand, he was proud of himself but on the other, he was afraid. “…I guess” was his subdued reply.

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“Na… Na-Nana…” Tears continued to leak out of Renne’s slitted pair of eyes despite the young Noibat’s attempts to wipe them away. His mother had gone off to run an errand again and this almost always meant that he would be left all alone in their home until she returned, usually around lunchtime. He knew that she had other responsibilities besides taking care of him, but he simply could not fathom the reason why she was unwilling to bring him along with her: she would have an easier time protecting him if he always remained in her sights. With that thought in mind, he secretly tailed his mother at a distance but as he was unfamiliar with the surroundings, he lost sight of her and somehow ended up in a park. He immediately scaled up a tree to get a good vantage point from which to look for his mother but his efforts bore no fruition. The Noibat would have returned back to solid ground had he not encountered a slight problem: in his impatience to find his mother, he had completely misjudged the height of the tree and was now rooted to his current spot out of fear.

“Crying won’t solve anything, boy,” a smooth and fluid baritone voice intoned in a straightforward manner.

Renne blinked and looked down, spotting a jackal-like Pokémon who was giving him a fixed stare. The Lucario’s cool grey eyes intimidated Renne as he involuntarily let out of whimper and started to cry again. “Na-Nana…”

“Enough with the sniffles and whimpers,” Noir remarked bluntly, reducing Renne’s sobbing to soft sniffles. “You have a choice to make—jump down right now…or remain trapped in that tree all day.”

The Noibat wordlessly eyed Noir before his gaze wandered to the ground. “I-is he serious?!” Renne mulled apprehensively. “I…could very well die, especially from this height…but if I don’t do it, I w-won’t be able to find Nana.” He audibly gulped as he came to a decision. “Okay, here…I…GO!” Renne shut his eyes and promptly pushed himself off the tree, immediately feeling air rush past the black fur covering his chest and hips. At that point, Renne was absolutely sure that he was going to die so imagine his surprise when he felt a pair of strong paws wrap around his tiny frame.

“Good choice,” the Noibat heard Noir compliment him as he slowly lifted his eyelids and looked up at the Lucario who sported a slight quirk of satisfaction at the corner of his mouth. “You’re definitely strong.”

Noir crouched down and gently set the young Sound Wave Pokémon down onto the ground. “Don’t forget, little bat,” the Lucario added, maintaining his crouched position as he beat the left side of his chest twice, “in the end, all you can count on is your own strength.”

A smile slowly spread across Renne’s visage as he stared up at Noir in veneration. “Ne!” was his passionate and affirmative response. The Noibat then scooted underneath Noir’s legs, nuzzling them happily before he crawled away in search of his mother with renewed vigour.

“Hmph,” Noir snorted in amusement at the sight of Renne’s exuberance. He murmured, “This world is full of evil— evil beyond purpose or reason. Our only saving grace is the light that shines within the hearts of children.” The Lucario stood up and regarded the clear blue sky, clenching his forepaws into fists. “But even they’re not safe. There’ll always be opportunists looking to exploit their innocence. Society is as rotten as it gets.” Lowering his head with an agitated sigh, he resumed his stroll through the park but took no more than ten steps before a series of tremors rocked the ground, forcing Noir to lower his centre of gravity to avoid from being knocked off his feet.

The vibrations soon died down, and Noir’s eyes frantically darted in all directions. “What was that?” he asked himself.

*BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!*

Those trio of explosions caught Noir’s attention as he swiftly turned his head towards the direction from which they came from and immediately registered the columns of black smoke rising many kilometres into the air. “That’s…” His heart immediately filled with dread as those explosions occurred near the neighbourhood in which he lived, and his thoughts became centred on a certain fox. “Rikuo… Oh no, Rikuo!”

Noir promptly lowered his upper body and planted both forepaws on the ground, tensed his leg muscles as he siphoned his energy into them and rocketed forward in the direction of his neighbourhood, leaving behind a flurry of black rose petals in his wake.

***

Even before he got hit by a barrage of Aura Spheres, Ardor was having a rotten day.

He woke up that day feeling sore all over, realizing that he had fallen off his bed. He must have lain on the hard wooden floor all night before waking. And then, when he was tasked to scout the city by his mentor, Darius, he was mistaken as a thief by a shopping citizen at the local herb store, resulting in a wild chase across the city courtesy of the city guards. After that, he crossed paths with this annoying Furret who seemed hell-bent on knowing everything about him and Darius.

The Quilava thought that his day could not get any worse but was soon cursing his luck when a huge explosion rocked the whole city. Ardor, by instinct, went to check what caused the explosion, only to be nearly stomped by a giant moving statue.

“What in the name of—”

He couldn’t even finish what he was going to say as he was suddenly tackled over by a hulk of a Pokémon. Instincts kicking in, fire burst out from his head and rear back, quickly releasing him from the Pokémon’s iron-like grip. Using the short moment of confusion, Ardor flipped over, kneed the larger Pokémon and locked it in a strong chokehold.

“Gck! Wh-what are ya doin’, mate?”

Ardor blinked as the voice that stimulated his sense of hearing sounded rather familiar. Looking to state his curiosity, he looked over the Pokémon he was strangling: tall and muscular, wearing a huge brown fedora, leather gloves and a red pendant. It was Luke, the leader of the Explorers.

“Sorry ‘bout that.” Ardor quickly released the Swampert who immediately gasped for breath. “But please refrain from tackling me from behind…or others for that matter.”

“Y-yeah, I can see yer reasonin’,” Luke rasped, “but I was saving you from the Guardian Statue.”

“Saving?” Ardor looked back at the spot where he stood seconds ago. The cobblestone pavement was now a huge smoking crater. Had the Swampert not tackled him, he’d be toasted, or worse. He coughed nervously and mumbled, “Thanks.”

The Swampert grinned at him. “No prob. Now get to safety. The Guilds will handle this.”

A movement behind Luke caught Ardor’s attention. He tensed, readying Incinerate on both of his arms just in case he would be encountering hostiles; however, it was just a pair of Pokémon consisting of an old Trokoal and an excited-looking Wartortle.

“You’re the leader of the Explorers Guild, right?” the Wartortle asked with an extremely bright smile.

“Er… yeah. And you are?”

“I’m Aqua, and gramps here is Hector,” she replied brightly, which seemed rather ironic given her typing. “So, what should we do?”

“Forgive my granddaughter for her…enthusiasm…but she wanted to help you lads stop this giant statue, and I find myself wanting to offer aid as well.” The old Torkoal had a determined look on his face.

Luke nodded, tipping his hat slightly. “Cheers, mates,” he thanked them. “Awright, all you need to do is this.”

Ardor tuned out their conversation as he observed the Guardian Statue. It was unlike anything he’d ever seen, standing over three meters tall with six eye-like gemstones on its white body which was adorned by strange black patterns and yellow-coloured ‘bands’ on its wrists and shoulders. Large, leafy vegetation was present around its shoulders, back and feet.

Looking back to Luke, Ardor noticed that he had gathered a few Pokémon with him. There was a Prinplup with a commanding air around him and a Shinx standing guard beside the former.

“Captain Tristan Frosteri and Lieutenant Commander Tordon Ahlström,” the Shinx announced their identities to Luke. “We’re ready to offer our assistance.”

Luke took a step back, a different kind of sweat trickling down his face as his face paled considerably. “N-no one told me that I’d be dealing with the Royal Fleet!” he stammered. “I-I apologize, officers. W-we’re doing the best we can to—”

“Ahlström!” the Prinplup snapped. “That pride of yours is really starting to grate on my nerves! Unless you plan to get demoted, I suggest you live by the idiom ‘silent as the grave’. Am I clear, Lieutenant Commander?”

The Shinx flinched and bowed his head in guilt. “Y-yes, sir.”

Tristan nodded before he turned to Luke. “Pay him no mind,” he told the nervous Swampert. “Like he said, we are here to offer our assistance. We have no intention of arresting you for negligence or anything like that.”

Luke relaxed considerably and told them of his plan. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure it won’t lay a finger on you,” the Swampert assured them. “Let’s get going before it destroys everything! The other Guilds are depending on us to keep this thing at bay!”

“So the Guilds are trying to save the city…” They seemed to have something planned. “Luke. Do you know where the Hunters are?” Ardor asked.

“Eh… not really, no.” Luke scratched his head. “But they’re evacuating the citizens. That much I know.”

Ardor nodded before he took off to a particular direction. “Thanks.”

“Hey! Where are ya goin’? It’s not save there!” Luke shouted. But the Quilava was already out of sight. The Swampert frowned in concern. He hoped that the young Fire-type knew what he was doing. For now though, he had a job to do.

***

Noir knelt down and surveyed the area from the vantage point of an unaffected shophouse—it was pandemonium. In contrast to the quiet and clean neighbourhood he was familiar with, what greeted him was an agglomeration of screams and explosions as the residents streamed out into the streets in panic and many buildings gave way due to the extensive damage afflicted upon them. He spotted his apartment building from the corner of his eye and produced a subtle sigh of relief: it had sustained minimal damage from the chaos, and thus was still standing.

“Rikuo should have gotten out safely,” he thought, eyeing the panic-stricken residents on the streets. “I could try to discern his energy signature, but there are too many variables at play here, two of which are the substantial amount of Pokémon and the tumultuous atmosphere. They make for too many distractions in my head. Still, I have to make sure that he’s safe.” The Lucario scanned the surroundings once again, his gaze ultimately settling on a Weavile who was barking out orders to several Pokémon. “That must be the Hunters’ soon-to-be leader. Let’s see what he’s made of.” Noir promptly jumped up and utilized ExtremeSpeed to make up the long distance between them.

“All right, listen up!” Sundance hollered to his subordinates. “The Explorers and Researchers are keepin’ the Great Statue busy so we Hunters are gonna hafta do our part by escorting the civilians here to safety!” He cleared his throat before he continued, “Thankfully, the gardens are still very much intact so make sure to lead these folks there! You guys got that?”

A Skuntank stepped forth and queried, “Uh… aren’t ya forgettin’ somethin’, Sunny?”

Sundance blinked at the lower-ranking Hunter as he scratched his right cheek innocently. “What?”

“Oh, for the love of—weren’t you talkin’ about stoppin’ them looters no more than two minutes ago?” a Pancham reminded him exasperatedly. She was one of the more vocal ones when it came to questioning Sundance’s leadership skills.

The Pancham’s reminder elicited a groan from Sundance as his shoulders drooped forward. “How could I forget?” he mumbled to himself. “Man, their timing couldn’t have been any worse.” The Weavile placed his claws on his waist as he mentally factored in the latest variable before he shouted, “Change of plans! Half of us will focus on helping the civilians while the other half deals with the looters. We’re a bit short-handed here, so things will be much easier if ya guys can somehow convince them looters to help us out.”

The Hunters collectively voiced their approval of Sundance’s orders and went to their assigned stations, leaving the Weavile behind with Kara.

“Tch, asking looters for help,” the Pancham grumbled as she lit up the leaf in her mouth with a Fire Stone. “I bet potential recruits were turned off by yer horrible handwriting.”

“Hey, I did the best I could, Kara!” Sundance yelled indignantly. “I didn’t have time to look over what I wrote, not with all of this going on! And in case you haven’t noticed, I have C-L-A-W-S!” With each letter, Sundance shoved the appendages closer and closer to the Pancham’s face.

Kara moved her leaf to the other side of her mouth as she smacked Sundance’s claws away. “Well, I don’t give a freakin’ D-A-M-N!” she countered heatedly. “If yer gonna be our leader, then ya gonna start mannin’ up instead of making half-assed excuses!”

Before the petty argument could escalate further, Noir chose to make his presence known by skidding to a halt in front of them.

“Whoa!” Sundance gasped out in surprise. “That was a close one, man. Ya coulda rammed right into us.”

“Highly unlikely considering that high-speed movement technique has served me well over the years,” Noir coolly responded, habitually brushing a paw across his chest fur.

The Hunters’ second-in-command crosses her arms and regarded the new arrival with a curious eye. She mused, “Where did this smug bastard come from? No, scratch that. This guy’s exudin’ confidence…and he looks like he ‘as some business with Sunny-boy here.” Kara duly stepped away from the Weavile. “How will ya deal this, Sunny-boy?”

Noir eyed Sundance with his trademark stern expression and asked bluntly, “Did you see a Fennekin come out from that building over there?” He then jerked a paw towards the aforementioned building some distance away from them.

Sundance blinked at Noir before he adopted a sympathetic visage. “Sorry,” he apologized, “but I wouldn’t know. With all of this chaos goin’ on, it’s kinda hard to keep track of the Pokemon that managed to get out to safety…but I think yer friend’s just fine. You should head on over to the gardens. I bet yer friend’s right there waitin’ for ya.” A broad grin suddenly stretched across the Weavile’s face. “Hey, you look kinda strong. How ‘bout ya help us out? We could—”

“Ya’re not aswerin’ the question, Sunny-boy,” Kara muttered under her breath as she watched the Lucario’s expression darken with each passing second. “This won’t be pretty.”

The Pancham’s prediction rang true as in the blink of an eye, Sundance was jerked forward by his collar and pinned against the wall by Noir.

“Oi, wha-whaddya think ya doin’?!” Sundance inhaled sharply. “Don’t ya know who—” He was promptly silenced when Noir slammed a paw right beside his face. Sundance slowly trailed his eyes up the length of the arm to which the paw was connected and met Noir’s glare.

“I know exactly who you are,” Noir articulated, his voice clearly deepening into one which befitted an emotionless assassin. “You’re Sundance, the heir to the Hunters’ leadership. Your particular guild practices a brand of secrecy, and I’m all too familiar with the way those kinds of organizations operate. I’m positive that you possess an extensive spy network to keep track of the movements of each and every Pokémon here.” The Lucario glanced at Kara over his shoulder. “Am I right?”

Kara took out the burning leaf in her mouth and puffed out some smoke. “Hmph, guess there’s no point in hidin’ it any longer,” she admitted nonchalantly.

Sundance’s jaw dropped at Kara’s casual attitude. “Hey, that was supposed to be a secret, Kara!”

The Pancham shrugged. “Not anymore it ain’t,” she countered. She gave Noir a sideways glance. “Call it a breach in privacy…but we Hunters gotta do our part in keepin’ the peace. This city’s becomin’ way too overpopulated for my likin’.”

“It’s not my place to judge how you do things,” Noir responded offhandedly, turning his attention back to Sundance. “So I ask you again—” He pushed his arm against Sundance’s throat. “—did you see a Fennekin come out of the building I specified? Yes…or no?”

“Gah…” Sundance’s face was beginning to turn blue from lack of oxygen. In spite of that, he managed to choke out, “N-no… I didn’t see no Fennekin. I-I know he’s the only Fennekin livin’ in this neighbourhood…but my scouts didn’t see him leave the building.”

“That’s all I needed to hear,” the Lucario snarled before he retracted his arm, the Weavile immediately sliding down the wall and taking a huge gulp of air. The former was just about to leave until Sundance reached out and grabbed a hold of Noir’s paw.

“Hold…it,” Sundance rasped as he slowly got back on his feet. Adjusting the collar around his neck, he suggested, “That apartment of yours doesn’t look like it’ll be collapsin’ anytime soon, so how ‘bout you go save the Pokemon trapped in the ones that weren’t as lucky as yours before you search for that Fennekin buddy of yours?” He relinquished his grip on Noir’s paw and tilted his head up at the Lucario. “Ya can sense their aura, can’t you? Are ya really gonna let them die?”

Noir turned his body at an angle and looked down at Sundance, noticing that there was a different air about the Weavile—an air of a leader. Smirking, Noir queried, “And why should I take orders from a weak leader?”

Sundance retained his unflinching and determined expression. “I know that you’re strong...,” he began. “Heck, I’m pretty sure ya coulda killed me back there if ya wanted to. I don’t have strength…but I do have power and with power, comes responsibility. My position as the heir of the Hunters makes me responsible for the safety of these folks, and I have no intention of backing down when the goin’ gets tough.” He narrowed his eyes at Noir. “I may be weak, but I will get stronger. I guarantee ya. So either ya save the ‘mon trapped in the buildings, or I will use my power to kick you out of this city when this is all over.”

With each word that the Weavile rolled off his tongue, the smirk on Noir’s features steadily grew wider. “Interesting,” he remarked, eyeing the Weavile with approval. “That ruthless streak of yours will get you far, boy. I suppose you’ve earned yourself a benefit of doubt.” The Lucario turned away from Sundance. “All right, I’ll save these ‘mon for you…but if I discover that Rikuo is not in the condition in which I expect him to be when I find him, I’m coming for you.” With that said, Noir walked away.

The Hunters’ heir looked on silently as the Lucario’s form grew smaller and smaller. Breathing out softly, he pivoted around his right foot and regarded his second-in-command. “What?” he asked upon noticing the smirk on Kara’s face.

“Didn’t think ya had it in ya, Sunny-boy,” she complimented, giving him a nod in the process. “Ya really are yer mom’s son.”

Sundance merely looked down at his claws. On one hand, he was proud of himself but on the other, he was afraid. “…I guess” was his subdued reply.