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Lucidity, Finalé

Fight for Freedom

By Dark Violet

Howling Gale had always yearned for freedom. He'd had it once, many years ago; dim memories from his childhood, a carefree Poochyena frolicking around the wooded den, bounding between the endless pillars of trees. Each day had been an adventure; crashing through hedges and ferns, twitching his nose at a thousand scents, as he drifted with his whims.

How much of it had been real? He'd been caught at such a young age, he didn't know where the memories ended and the fantasies had begun. Not even his brothers, caught alongside him, could work it out after so many years. But it didn't stop him from staring out from his pen in the cool autumn mornings, watching mist drift across the distant hills under a fresh blue sky. At nightfall, he'd watch the sky light up beyond the nearby hills, and find himself wondering what could cause such a vast, golden glow.

Could he have left? Looking back now, it seemed like such an easy thing to do. The wire fences had never been that strong, and whenever they were let out, it wasn't like they couldn't easily leap the borders of their hunting grounds. Yet they hadn't, chastised and frozen by the hand that fed them, and a gaze it seemed they couldn't escape.

What else could they do? They were loyal - not by choice, but instilled deep in their bones. It was primal, so intrinsic to their sense of self, their raison d'etre. And yet, constant questions of what was over the terribly close horizon ate at him, year after year…

Until one day. The day she showed up. The human, clad in black, always running. A woman who could break through that social loyalty so easily, and steal from her kin. A human who worked alongside a Pokémon, a Staravia, instead of making him work for her. A human who considered spreading her legs before a pack of wild Mightyena to be an adequate form of survival…

How could he not fall for her?

And his instincts had been so delightfully right! Within days, he'd been flying - flying! In one of those great metal machines he'd seen only as specks in the sky! He'd stared down at a world laid out below him, and all at once he'd realised the true scale of what he could explore. There was the vast golden city, and he'd marvelled at the immense buildings stretching across the horizon, a concrete forest all of its own and gleaming with light. So that's what could cause such a glow, that it would light up the sky itself.

Then there was the chase across the water; at the time, it had been a rude awakening, ruining the afterglow of instinct-fuelled rutting, but looking back on it he hadn't remembered a time that adrenaline had flowed through him more. He'd never forget the salty spray that kicked up against his muzzle, or how his paws had tingled with excitement as he'd fended off their pursuers - all while tied to that fascinating woman…

Then there had been the cruise ship, indulging in human ideas of luxury (mainly food, he'd found out, with no complaints), and so many more nights where he'd gripped his new lover, Reese, her fingers clutching his paws. As they'd stared into each other's eyes, he knew that they'd both yearned for that adventure, for the life of excitement. After years of wishing it to be so, here it was. Here she was. And the dream - the dream of all four of them - had fallen into place.

But then, his lover's friend had been captured, dragged from her sleep and packed into a black silhouette, spirited into the night. And in that moment, Howling Gale felt that same icy gaze he'd run from not so long ago...

And yet, he didn't find himself quailing beneath it - not this time. On the contrary, he found his resolve hardened.

He would rescue her. They would rescue her. He would stand with the figureheads of his freedom; Dactyl, whom he'd come to respect, and Reese, whom he'd come to love, to save one of their own. One of his own.

Loyalty - true loyalty - comes from who you respect. It comes not from what you think - but from what you know; from the heart.

He would fight for them.

He would fight for their dream.

***

The interrogation wouldn't be a problem.

Sammi would gently lean back, a small, thoughtful smile across her face. She'd narrow her eyes in just a way to give the impression that she was studying, in a vaguely amused way, the interrogator himself. She would remain stoic in the face of questions rattled off like a bullet seed, letting them bounce off her impassive visage without her giving more than a simple, cryptic response to each. In time, her captors would grow frustrated, throwing their hands up in tired defeat - and eventually, they'd make a mistake. Or let her go. Or she'd be rescued.

At least, that's how it happened in all the books she'd read. In reality...

“How did you break into Parfum?"

“The roof! The- the west wall was good for climbing, and the roof wasn't guarded!"

“How much did you steal?"

“Twenty-three million! All in cash!"

“Anything else?"

“No! Nothing!"

“What about the Mightyena, then?"

“I- I didn't think- we didn't plan on him!"

She could feel her childhood heroes glaring at her from across a hundred fantasy worlds. She hunched over in her chair, alternating her gaze between her handcuffed wrists, the dour expression of the interrogator, and her own distraught reflection in the large mirror across one side of the room.

“What were your plans for after you arrived in Viridian?"

Sammi's hands tugged against the handcuffs, and she avoided his gaze. Her mind flashed back to not a day ago, to the enthusiastic plans Reese and she had scribbled; their nightclub, Lucidity, with its neon-lit bartops and secret back rooms.

“I dunno!" - had she said that too hastily? - “I- I guess we'd find a connection to some islands, try to get a trip back to Kalos."

“And that's all?"

“We just wanted to get home!"

“Where…" the interrogator started, as calmly as ever. Sammi could tell the question before he said it. He'd already asked it several times. “...is Reese?"

She leaned forward, staring at him now. For a moment, there was a glimmer of assertiveness in her words. “Don't you think I want to know that too?"

The interrogator fell silent. The lamplight made his small, squinting eyes gleam, as if he knew something he wasn't letting on. His face, smooth-skinned and chubby, was contoured with the shadows the lamp cast. It was the face of a young man, barely a few years older than Sammi herself, with a young man's assuredness and confidence.

The handcuffs clinked as her wrists trembled. It was a confidence well earned.

After a moment, the interviewer leaned back in his chair, slipping out of the lamplight. Shadows draped themselves across his face, and stretched across his plain, grey suit with a simple black tie. Such boring attire; there was something metaphorical about that, Sammi was sure.

He steepled his fingers again. Now his eyes had fallen dark and narrowed, but they pierced into her all the same.

It was like he was searching for the answers in her face. Sammi shifted uncomfortably in the hard chair, feeling awfully like an open book.

“I would be more… cooperative, Samantha." He said. He had a way of speaking that tended not necessitate an 'or else'. The silence after the words let those images paint themselves in the mind.

Sammi looked away. She couldn't take the gaze.

The room was compact, claustrophobic, filled with the oversized interrogation table with its two lamps - one of which was tilted to almost blind her. The mirror on the far wall stretched across nearly the entire room, giving no secrets as to who might be watching her from behind it. She glanced to the side, to the only window in the room; small, and revealing little aside from a sky dark with twilight and the last streaks of sunset, peering between the tops of high-rises. From where she was sitting, she could just glimpse the crisscrossing metal girders of a nearby crane. How far off the ground was she? The window was too high up the wall from where she was sitting to see. Ten floors? Twenty?

“Do you realise the trouble you're in, Samantha Delacroix?" the interrogator said smoothly. Sammi looked back at him quickly; when she said nothing, he continued. “Grand larceny of twenty-three million dollars. In a foreign region: criminal fraud, theft of a speedboat, and assault of several police officers. You even kidnapped, transported across borders and held hostage a registered, captured Pokémon. These are just a few of the crimes that are now well known by the police. What they don't know is your name, the name of your partner… and that." He indicated with one hand.

Sammi flicked her gaze down at the tablet again. Throughout every interview, there it had been, at the edge of her vision - a threat, reminding her that they had the ability to ruin her and her friend's lives forever. The picture it showed had now been burned into her mind: the freeze-frame of their Goldenrod escape, all four faces plainly visible, and Howling Gale half-stumbling as he tugged at his knot firmly tied inside Reese.

“Why are you after us, then?" Sammi asked, trying to stop her fingers from trembling. “If you're not the police, then who are you?"

“You don't need to worry about that, Samantha." For words said in a comforting tone, they had the exact opposite effect. “Believe me, you're lucky that we got to you when we did, because we haven't reported you yet. We're a more… forgiving institution."

He paused, then let out a small, barely audible sigh. “I've been talking with my client," he said, almost like it was just an errant thought, “and I suppose I should tell you that I have a deal to propose."

Sammi glanced up, fingers clenching into worried fists.

The interrogator leaned forwards again, placing his hands on the table and meeting her gaze. “We want only two things. The money you stole from Parfum, and the Mightyena. If you give us those, you - both you and your friend - can walk out the front door with your heads held high."

Sammi stared at him. She looked down at the photo again. A deal? This was new. And, not just any deal… that deal? He couldn't possibly be offering anything so simple - could he? She'd done the research before they'd started this whole awful affair - a theft this big was at least a decade in prison, and that was without everything else on top! Her stomach had been tied in knots since the start, wrapped in layers of fear and terror. She kept feeling the tenacious urge to just close this terrible book, look up, and see her real, non-criminal life, back when everything was so much simpler - a reality that felt so close, and yet was so terribly, terribly far away.

So…

She hated that part of her was actually considering what they were saying, setting off that little spark of hope that she could put this whole sordid affair away in a drawer and forget about it. A tempting panacea.

Sammi opened her mouth, but no words came out. She looked up.

The interrogator leaned back slightly. “Now... tell us how to find Reese."

“I… I don't know where she is! Honest!"

“I believe you. I do." The words inspired an icy chill. “But... you've not said you don't know how to find her, have you?"

The smile that flickered across her face just added to her guilt. “I…"

“Samantha. I… Sammi, yes? Listen. We're not going to hurt you, or her, or any of your Pokémon. As I said, all we want is the money and the Mightyena. That's all. I give you my word. And trust me - in this business, my word means a lot."

Sammi breathed shakily, looking down.

“We all want this to come to a swift conclusion," the interrogator said, “and this offer will not be on the table for long. I'm going to need an answer."

Her hands were curled into tiny fists, pulling against the cool metal of the handcuffs. Words flitted around her mind; it was a quote from one of those books. A secret agent, after being interrogated for days, had leaned forward towards his captors with a winning smile… and, and he'd said… “Thank you. You've been most informative."

...well, then he revealed he'd broken out of the handcuffs and proceeded to beat up everyone in the room, but still, that first part - if she could get information from them…

She looked up, trying to replicate that half-squinting gaze. “How do you know our names?"

The interrogator looked back at her, with just the ghost of a frown on his face. She didn't know if it was from the question or her probably odd expression, but she pressed on.

“You said the police don't know, but you do, and I didn't give them to you, so… so how do you know who we are?"

“Samantha, please-"

“You want me to answer your questions?" Sammi's fingers tingled with giddiness. “You answer mine. Deal?"

The interrogator parted his hands. “Our intelligence network is vast and deep. We have many ways of finding the information we-"

There was a crackle as an intercom turned on. “I will tell her," it said in a clipped, distorted voice.

A moment later, the door opened. In walked a tall, pale woman, her short but elegant dress a sharp contrast to the suited security men standing outside the door.

“Miss Delacroix," she said, her upper-class Kalosian accent interjecting into each syllable just as much as the disdain for having to say it, “I believe you know who I am."

Sammi nodded, staring up at a face that had smiled at her from a computer screen for months. She went still in her terror.

Baroness Parfum - noblewoman and resident of Parfum Palace itself - stood neatly beside the interrogator. The thin wrinkles around her eyes were not from age, but from scorn, as she looked down her nose at Sammi. She was holding a single pokéball in her hands, and after a moment, she placed it gently on the table.

It was a simple red pokéball, nothing particularly noticeable about it at first. The hinge had been broken; whatever Pokémon inside had been released. Sammi glanced up, the question on her lips.

“We found this ball at the side of the river, just outside Parfum," the interrogator said, leaning in once more. “Inside was a Mightyena - a wild one, not one of the Baroness', of course. We let it go."

Sammi's blood ran cold. Her mind flashed back to those late-night planning sessions, to their countless plans to rid themselves of the Hounds. She remembered their solution - a freshly-caught female Mightyena, acting as a distraction for the frenzied pack. And Reese said… she'd lost the pokéball…

“Look inside," the interrogator said.

Sammi did, the handcuffs around her wrists clinking as she reached out for it. The grey, clunky innards criss-crossed the inside of the ball, hiding a thousand complicated transistors and matter converters. But it was obvious what she was looking for now - there, circled by a red marker at the back of the ball, was an engraved serial number,

Sammi's blood ran cold.

“This is where things get interesting. You see, every time a pokéball is bought, the serial number is registered to the person who bought it. Very efficient, very useful in certain cases - like when someone steals twenty-three million dollars... and a Parfum Hound." He let that hang for a moment. “We just had to gain access to the database, run the serial number, and-"

“Miss Delacroix", the Baroness cut in, “Fake passports and money exchanges don't work when you make mistakes. This pokéball was bought by you nearly a year ago, under your own name."

Sammi dropped the pokéball and clasped her hands together, trying to stop them from shaking. It was… her fault?

“But…" she stammered, withering under their twin gazes, “but... no, we used fake names for the plane tickets, and-"

“Washing the money at a big casino was an obvious strategy, I'm afraid to say," the interrogator explained, “and there aren't many last-minute plane tickets bought for Mightyena travelling outside of pokéballs. After that, we just had to wait. And-" he said, holding up a hand, “before you interject, a speedboat like that, leaving from Goldenrod, had no chance of going anywhere further than either Olivine or Cianwood. So then, it was a simple task of finding which international ships you could easily hide on. We spread your faces around to a few contacts, and one report later…" he gestured around the room, “You're our valued guest."

Was that it? Was that really all it had taken…? Months of planning, megabytes of decision trees and spreadsheets, all those late-night casing trips - all of that… to be undone so easily?

“Miss Delacroix," the Baroness said, “I believe you owe us information now."

It was a statement said in no uncertain terms.

Sammi stared unseeingly forwards. It was all her fault.

Slowly, she nodded her head.

“Okay," she said quietly. “Okay. I'll show you how to find Reese."

***

RSD Messageboard

1 Post (last updated: just now)

>It's okay! I'm okay. Long story. I'll be at the docks at 10pm, where the SS Anne landed. Reese, I have so many things to tell you!

• by zoroarklover13

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The interrogator looked up at her, his finger still poised over the screen where he'd just pressed the 'Submit' button. He cocked a single eyebrow. “'Zoroark lover'?"

“It's not what you think!" Sammi said hurriedly, eyes flicking between him and the Baroness, “...honest!"

After a few moments of silence, she shuffled uncomfortably in her seat. “What, like neither of you have been thirteen years old…"

The interrogator grunted and set the tablet down. The webpage was simple, barely more than simple white text on a deep red background, but it was one that Sammi had set up for them before this had all started, something to use in the event of an emergency. She knew Reese would see it.

“Thank you for your help, Samantha," the interrogator said. “You will, of course, need to stay here until we find Reese." He casually switched the tablet back to the photograph of the four of them in the speedboat and pushed it back towards her. “I'll leave this picture here too. Just a reminder, making sure you stay on the straight and narrow, of course - you understand."

He leaned over and pressed a button on the side of the tablet. A lock symbol appeared at the top right - Sammi knew from previous meetings that a passcode now stopped her from doing anything on the device.

Sammi nodded slowly, staring forlornly at the photograph. She didn't look up as the interrogator rose, and quietly exited the room without another word.

The Baroness turned too, as if to go after him - and then she stopped, slowly closing the door.

Sammi looked up suddenly, into the glaring face of the Baroness. “There are cameras in here," the words fell out of Sammi's mouth in a jumble. “I can still call for help!"

The Baroness seemed to twitch backwards, mouth hanging half-open. “I beg your pardon?" she barked, “Miss Delacroix, are you insinuating I would attack you?"

Sammi bit her lip, looking away. “So you just have the Hounds do that…" she muttered under her breath.

The Baroness came to a stop just in front of her. She gave no response to the question, staying silent for a few moments, hands clasped neatly in front of her.

When she spoke, her voice was calm again. “I have a few questions, if I may."

Sammi looked up at her. “I already told him how to find-"

“Nothing like that. This is for my own curiosity. You would grant me that, wouldn't you?"

Those eyes held so many conflicting emotions it was hard to identify them - but there were definitely questions behind that wrinkled face. Sammi nodded slowly. “Okay…"

The Baroness leaned over. “It concerns what your friend - Reese - is doing to my Hound."

Sammi blushed furiously. She thought it would be about that. “Yes…?"

“If I may - ah…" She paused, trying to find the words. She tugged at her long, bony fingers. “Ahh… why?"

A silence fell over the room. It was a rather awkward silence. Rather awkward, in the same way that Sammi was having a rather bad day.

The Baroness gave a small, dainty sigh. “Miss Delacroix, despite what you may think of me, I am not a sheltered person," she said, in almost tired tones, “I know a lot about the world, and I too have had my… raucous days, in the past. I've… had more than just a silver spoon in my mouth, let's just put it that way."

Sammi hurriedly stifled a snicker. The Baroness avoided her gaze. Was… she blushing too now?

“But all of my indiscretions concerned men of my own species. Another woman, even, twice. And that's not to be repeated outside this room." She paused, staring off into the distance. “But I never even considered for a moment doing…" she trailed off for a moment. “...with a Pokémon."

Sammi let out a short, barking laugh, then stared in shock at the Baroness. “I- I- … sorry! I just…"

“What on Earth are you-"

“I just, this whole… us two…" Sammi's flushed face was burning. “I never thought I'd be talking about sex lives - these sex lives - with Baroness Parfum!"

Sammi gave an exhausted smile, but the Baroness just raised an eyebrow.

“You're more than just friends with one, aren't you?" the Baroness said calmly after a moment.

Sammi fell silent. The momentary humour evaporated like mist, and her blood seeped with cold.

“The Hound as well? Would you turn in a… I don't want to say, lover…" A pause. “Or the Staravia…?"

Sammi bit her lip again, looking down.

The Baroness sat down slowly on the chair, leaning forward, hands folded in her lap. Her voice was in hushed, almost intrigued tones “You're like your friend, aren't you? You're one of them…" She blinked, tilting her head, wrinkled brow furrowing. “I don't understand - why?"

Sammi flicked her eyes up at her momentarily, and then away again. Her fingernails dug into her hand.

The Baroness studied her for a few more moments. When it became clear that Sammi wasn't going to say anything, she stood up slowly, picking up the broken pokéball from the table.

“I hope your friend heeds the message," she said, the sharpness in her voice returning. She moved to the door and opened it, pausing for a moment at the threshold. “I will get my lost Hound back, no matter the cost."

Sammi looked up, but she had already strode out the door. It closed behind her, and the click of the lock echoed around the empty room.

***

RSD Messageboard

2 Posts (last updated: just now)

> I'm at the docks. Where are you?

• by adrenaline12

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Reese let out a slow breath, staring at the message she'd just typed. The wind teased at her hair, the scent of brine making her nose tingle, and she hunched over her phone to protect it from the elements. Beside her, Howling Gale peered over her shoulder, giving her a questioning glance. She stroked his cheek idly with one hand.

A throaty grunt cut through the rush of wind. She glanced up at Dactyl, perched on her shoulder. His wings were held tightly to his sides, staring straight ahead with a steely gaze - he didn't even glance at her. Reese smiled sadly; she still hadn't managed to get the poor guy to calm down.

She switched the screen off, plunging the three of them into shadows. The wind was growing worse, but the two Pokémon were enough to keep her warm for now. “Sammi," she muttered, “you'd better know what you're doing."

***

Hours passed silently, with just a glowing red digital display high on one wall to mark them. A ticking clock would have been agonising, but the silence felt almost worse - it clawed at her, feeding her anxiety into an ever-more tumultuous beast. She chewed on one thumbnail, glancing back at the clock on the wall.

21:46, it read. They'd probably headed out by now, the team going to catch Reese. How many of them would there be? Would it be enough...?

And it was all her fault. Damnit! One tiny mistake! Would it have been so hard to buy a new pokéball? They'd had the money, the fake IDs - hell, there was even a shop around the corner, and she knew the guy behind the desk on Fridays wouldn't be too diligent about a Pokéball register for the right price. But no, she'd decided to take a ball from the back of her closet instead, and the entire plan had gone awry…

Sammi kept chewing on her thumbnail. She could have been on a plane to Alola by now! Perhaps even there already, sipping a lurid orange cocktail on the sun-drenched beaches, one hand idly stroking Dactyl's chest. Oh, Dactyl… why did she have to drag him into this too…?

The guilt weighed her down with icy talons, whispering constantly in her ear that it was all because of her.

She glanced up at the clock again. 21:50.

So maybe it was time to try and fix it then.

Slowly, she took her thumb from her mouth. She teased at where she'd been chewing at the nail, prising a thin sliver from the end. It wasn't even a millimetre thick.

Carefully, so as not to alert anyone watching, she eased the tablet towards her with her fingertips and tilted the screen away from the cameras. For a moment she regarded the picture, probably the most candid photograph ever taken. She glanced between all four of them, highlighted in the spray - it was almost photogenic. Reese would probably love a copy of a picture like this - she'd probably frame it and hang it on the wall in her room. Damn that girl.

Holding the sliver of fingernail between her thumb and forefinger, she gently stroked it along the thin side of the tablet. She knew this model - she'd seen it flitting across her tech feeds recently. New technology, fairly pricey, technologically robust…

The tip of the nail caught at a small hole, hardly visible unless you were looking. She eased her makeshift pin inside, and trying to hold it as steady as possible, gently pressed the switch within…

For a moment, nothing happened. Then the tablet screen blacked out, and a moment later, a loading circle spiralled in the centre - then it flickered, and the home screen faded into view.

Sammi grinned. She was lucky; incredibly lucky. Whoever she was at the mercy of clearly hadn't heard the stories of the security bugs in early versions of this device. A long press of the reset switch sends the device to the main menu, bypassing the screen lock - idiotic, and exactly what she needed.

She looked at the clock. 21:54. She didn't have much time.

***

The cars turned off their engines, growling into silence. Doors opened, and several dark shapes emerged.

There was a series of crimson flashes, briefly illuminating their thick coats and rugged, stoic faces. When it was over, the lights of the sparsely populated dock cast deep shadows and gleamed off sharpened claws.

“HQ, Team 1." The mumbled words were barely heard to anyone but the radio. “We're moving in."

***

First things first; good photography or not, she had to get rid of this picture. Sammi easily navigated to the right folder, highlighted the file, and took great pleasure in hitting delete. Then it was back to the main menu - oh, clearing that digital Trash Bin never felt so good!

But that was just this device. This place must have servers, and those servers must have backups, right? She navigated to the network page.

How long did she have? There was a thump outside the room, and she jumped - No! Was that them, coming to stop her?

Trying to still her shaky hand, she tried to access the main servers. Dammit - password protected! She tried a few possibilities - the current month, password123, gorebyss - all no dice. Figures.

But - hm. They'd left her with this device, not realising the potential security risk - that didn't speak highly of their IT security, did it? She went back into settings, advanced settings - open as administrator…

Username and Password. Well, let's see if…

Username: admin

Password: changeme

The screen hung for a moment. Her heart skipped a beat - and then a window appeared, the entire server network winding across it like the roots of a tree.

Really!? Hah! She could hardly believe it, but oh, she was happy to take it! Oh, thank you, great Porygon of the web! She grinned, unable to help it, flicking through server after server. There - case files! And at the top, most recently changed, a folder named Parfum Hound. She deleted it immediately.

Now for the backups. She glanced at the clock again - 21:57- no, wait, 21:58. Dammit, she was running out of time...!

***

Reese stared at the phone screen, watching the seconds tick by. Come on, Sammi, please…

A gust of wind blew at her hair, and she shivered. Howling Gale's ear flicked, and he twitched his nose, looking up. Reese put a gloved hand on the back of his neck, rubbing the dark black fur of his ruff. “Easy, hun… easy… it's going to be okay..."

***

The radio crackled quietly, a series of whispered, distorted 'Clear' and 'Secure' callouts. With barely a sound, they had swept across half the dock. There were no exits now, but also no woman, nor Mightyena, nor Staravia…

Beside him, the man's Manectric sniffed at the ground and gave a crackling grunt. He peered down the length of the dock. There, right at the end - a single shipping container, almost black against the dark water.

He put his lips close to the radio. “This is lead. Checking possible location. Cover me."

***

The backups were a mess of crisscrossing systems, but she didn't have to navigate them. She pulled up the main backup page and selected everything it linked to. Then, hidden halfway down a drop-down, she highlighted the option 'Force Sync with Main Server'.

She tapped it.

'Are you sure? This will cause-'

She tapped yes without reading the rest of the message.

For a few seconds, a loading circle spiralled, unaware of tension it created.

Sync complete. 435 files deleted across 3 (out of 3) servers.

She almost danced in her chair. She was doing it! She looked up - 21:59. Come on, almost, just one more thing to do! The network page showed another system linked to the Wi-fi in this place, and it was a doozy. She flicked back to it. There it was, a simple icon showing the silhouette of a camera - CCTV. Oh, this was almost too easy! If she could just-

The door burst open.

***

The shipping container loomed in the darkness. Just a few paces now. The man pulled the taser from his belt, wrapping both hands around it. His Manectric stalked alongside, a pace to his left, fur quivering with static.

He sighted down the weapon, and slowly, he rounded the container.

“Hands up-"

***

“Get that thing away from her!"

Shaking, Sammi highlighted the Wi-fi icon itself, opened up the properties, and hit an option she'd seen at the beginning - 'Force Factory Reset of Router'.

This operation will-

She hit Yes and just as a fat hand yanked the device from her hand. She finally looked up at three glaring faces and grinned.

“I did it!" She said, her entire body trembling. She beamed up at them. “You're too late! I did it!"

One of them, the interrogator from before, glanced at the guard who had dragged the tablet away. She was tapping on the screen, shaking her head. “The connection's gone. Looks like she shut down the Wi-fi."

“For just this device, right?"

The guard shook her head and gave a helpless shrug in bemusement.

Sammi cackled to herself. “That's what you get for not hiring a good sysadmin! Hah! I'd offer my services, but to hell with you."

The interrogator sighed. “Samantha, you are turning out to be a tenacious guest. But it's of no consequence; we just got word that your friend is at the docks. Any moment now-"

There was an intermittent buzzing from his pocket. He pulled out a small phone, giving Sammi a thin smile as he tapped the screen. “HQ."

“HQ, she's not here!" Even Sammi could make out the frantic voice. “The entire dock is secure, there's nowhere she could be! She's not here!"

The interrogator blinked, his mouth hanging slightly open. He looked across at Sammi.

Sammi looked at the clock.

21:59...

22:00.

***

Reese breathed out as the clock ticked over. She calmly switched the phone's screen off, slid it into her pocket, and zipped it up.

The three of them were bathed in the crimson glow of a red warning light. Crouched right at the end of the crane's arm, they looked down at the city thirty stories below. The roads flitting back and forth with tiny cars, buzzing like fireflies around vast trunks of soaring skyscrapers. The closest building, an immense, dark tower, was unfinished; the last few floors were still under construction, with no walls, just dull grey girders and bare concrete staircases, and tarpaulin waving in the wind. A few stories below where Reese crouched, two rows of windows shone brightly from the dark shape. And on the roof, the familiar black silhouette of a helicopter was just visible against the navy sky.

She tugged at the harness with one hand. Then she tapped her shoulder - Dactyl took to the air, and a moment later, Howling Gale had climbed up onto her back and wrapped his paws around her chest, claws digging into the fabric of her thick jumpsuit. Reese tossed a strap around his midsection, caught it on the other side, and buckled him against her; as she tightened it, she felt his heartbeat throbbing against her back.

Carefully, she eased herself up. She couldn't push the picture from her mind of looking down, at the pale gold lights of the city below, faded with distance, oh so much distance. The arm of the crane wobbled beneath her, every small motion making her feel unsteady on her feet - and that was without the high-altitude winds buffeting both of them. She shouted to be heard over it roar.

“Stick to the plan!" Then, a smile spread across her face. “I've always wanted to do something like this."

She jumped.

For a moment, they were in freefall, and the only sound was the wind rushing past them. It was almost peaceful - then the rope yanked them back, cutting into her waist, breasts and shoulders. It strained at the intricately tied knots, and the crane groaned under their weight as the rope swung them around in a long arc.

The building loomed, growing bigger by the second. Faster and faster, a glowing window rushed up towards them. Howling Gale, who'd been snarling as his aura mounted, let out a sharp bark - a Shadow Ball ripped the air as it screamed past Reese's ear, and she brought up her feet and pressed them together-

***

The lobby exploded in a shower of glass and fizzling black aura. Reese landed in the middle of the hail of shards - she unbuckled Howling Gale the moment her feet hit the floor, and curled herself into a roll as he leapt from her back. She got a single glimpse of him launching himself towards a group of shocked, suited employees crowded around a desk. Their eyes were wide, mouths agape. Some had their arms up to shield them from the shrapnel.

She rolled, flattening herself on the floor as soon as she could, covering her head with her arms. Above her, Howling Gale Snarled.

This was no growl of anger, no mere expression of annoyance. This Snarl earned its capital letter, a wide shockwave of darkness spewing from his gleaming, clenched teeth. Aura blacker than the darkness out the window seemed to suck in the harsh white lighting of the room; whenever it touched something, wood splintered and exploded, rent into a thousand pieces. The employees flew backwards from the sheer force, their cries deafened by the guttural rumble of Howling Gale.

When the shockwaves had finished echoing around her ears, Reese pulled her arms from her head and slowly pushed herself up, unclipping herself from the harness. Dactyl flew through the shattered window behind them, landing beside Howling Gale with feet planted firmly apart, wings outstretched, and a look of death in those black eyes.

Reese stood up, and strode across the room to the nearest employee - a youngish man, with short dark hair, tanned skin, and a mix of disbelief and terror across his face. She crouched down, and with one hand, pulled his face up to meet hers.

“Where. Is. My. Friend?"

***

The explosion had been heard from the other side of the building. The interrogator was pushing his way down the corridor as his prisoner was pulled through the door by two guards. She didn't seem to be resisting much.

“Ohmyarceus it worked!" Samantha said, grinning madly at him. Elation poured from every part of her face. “It worked, it woooorked!"

“Quiet!" one of his guards barked. “Mr Kato, sir?"

The interrogator, Kato, glared at her. In the distance there was a woomph and a yell of pain. “Situation, Mr Yamada?"

Another door slammed open before he could answer. “What on earth-"

“Ah, Baroness Parfum," Kato said, talking loudly over the distant sounds of crashing, “Apologies. We've been infiltrated, but my guards are taking care of it."

“I am not reassured, Mr Kato," the Baroness said sternly. “Your cameras are down, and I can't access anything on the server." She glared at Sammi. “What did she do?"

“It was you!" Sammi blurted, buoyed on the sense of elation. “The site you sent the message on, the one telling Reese to go to the docks… the account I logged in on was a message itself, telling her it was a lie!" She was almost breathless. “The site scraped your IP address, device addresses, location data, company name - everything! And you fell for it!" The last words were almost shouted in maddened glee.

Somewhere behind them, there was a cry of pain. Kato breathed out steadily, looking back down the corridor. He rubbed his face with one hand as his eyes flickered back and forth.

“Saito, Yamada, take her upstairs," he ordered the other guards. “Baroness, I suggest you leave as soon as possible."

“As if I would let her out of my hands so easily," she said, a stern, confident tone to her voice, “I will stay with the girl."

Kato nodded. The distant crashes were now mixed with the occasional zap of a pokéball. “As you wish, madame. You two, protect her. And Sammi - thank you."

A pause. Sammi stared back at him wordlessly.

“All we wanted you to do was to deliver Reese to us, right?"

And Sammi, eyes flicking back and forth in - realisation, perhaps, or her folly? - was dragged away towards a stairway.

Left alone in the corridor, Kato let out another, long sigh, putting his face into both hands. He remained like that for a moment, then breathed in sharply, and stood at ease. His expression became smooth and impassive once more. He adjusted his tie, and set off down the corridor, towards the growing sounds of calamity.

When he eventually rounded the corner, he stopped dead, staring through a door split into two halves. Beyond that...

It had been an elegant lobby, demure and modern, with curving pale-wood desks and slim computer screens. Now, all that remained was a bombsite of splinters and sparking circuits, piles of tattered, smouldering paper littered with shards of glass and broken stationery. Ceiling lights were shattered, while some hung above the destruction, idly swaying on frayed wires. A section of wall panel had been slashed, and a burst pipe sprayed steam across the floor.

Around the room were some of Kato's employees, slumped over or curled up. Those he couldn't see he could hear, groaning beneath debris or coughing behind overturned cabinets. There were Pokémon too; a Raticate and Golbat twitched in one corner, and a Persian was half-buried in a ceiling tile, its muffled snarls just audible, its tail thrashing wildly. A set of elevator doors had been dented enough to see clear into the shaft, while an Incineroar lay motionless on the ground near them.

In the centre of all the rubble stood a woman, clad neck to feet in a form-fitting, thick black jumpsuit. Her head was uncovered, with short, messy hair above a pale face crisscrossed with cuts and scratches that gleamed with drops of blood. She turned to face him, fixing him with an unsettling smile.

Kato blinked, put his hands together, and smiled. “Miss Reese Villeneuve..."

Reese didn't move. “Mister whoever-the-fuck-you-are."

“Now now, if you wanted to talk, all you had to do was give us a call."

“Look around you," Reese said, waving a hand. “Look around you and tell me if you think I'm in the mood for your witty banter right about now."

Kato raised his eyebrows, flicking his gaze around once more. A ceiling fan, until now merely tilting precariously, fell from its mount and landed between them.

“Alright," Kato said after a moment. He nodded once. “I'm a smart man. What do you want?"

“What I want?" Reese held up her hand as she started counting. “One: My friend. Two: Your cooperation. Three: Mightyena knot. Four: You people to get the hell out of our lives for good."

Kato stared. “I'm... sorry, what was that middle one?"

“Your cooperation. As in, be a good little security guard, and do what I say."

Kato blinked several times. “I-"

He stopped. There was a sound behind him like the growling depths of hell itself, and he could almost feel its flames lapping at his back. Inch by inch, he turned his head.

The Hound glowered at him, hunched over, red eyes glowing on yellow sclera. Ears lay flat like spiked horns, while muscles rippled under thick fur. It took a single step, its entire body steady and poised, reminding him unsettlingly of a cannon. Claws and teeth dripped crimson onto the floor.

A hand grabbed the neck of his shirt, and he whirled back around; Reese smiled at him, her eyes wild. A deep gash cut across her brow, framing her face in lines of blood. She lifted her other arm; a Staravia settled on it, talons gleaming as they deformed the arm of jumpsuit with a vice-like grip, black eyes like great pits.

At the sight of the Staravia, he reached for his belt, snatching the Luxury pokéball held there - but pain shot through his arm, and he yelled, eyes screwing shut, dropping the pokéball to the ground. He looked down into the hungry eyes of the Hound, teeth closed around his wrist.

Reese crouched down, picking up the pokéball, and pocketing it. “Dactyl's pokéball, so nice of you to return it. You're very kind."

She straightened up, and yanked at his collar, making him whirl his head back towards her.

“How about we strike a deal." Reese said, an edge to her voice like a sharpened knife, her face etched with determination. “You take me to Sammi..."

Kato waited in silence for the rest of the sentence. When he realised it wasn't coming, he gave a slow, measured nod.

It was only a short walk, but with every step, the warm, unsettling Hound's breath rolled across Kato's lower back, and visions of those glistening teeth just inches away made him second-guess every movement. Blood dripped from beneath his sleeve.

He opened the door to the stairway, and stopped.

“Hey." Reese said, a few paces behind him. “Keep moving."

Kato let out a slow breath. A smile passed across his face.

“Hey, I told you to keep moving."

“I believe you have someone here to see you," Kato said, and stepped aside. Reese and the Hound stepped forwards, the Staravia riding on Reese's shoulder - and then they, too, stopped still.

Reese blinked. The Staravia spread its wings, letting out a slow hiss. The Hound lowered his head, eyes narrowing, the fur on the back of his neck bristling as it began a low, guttural snarl.

Standing tall at the top of the stairway, looking quite unconcerned with the assemblage, was another Hound. Its claws tapped at the bare concrete of the top step, and Kato could almost swear it was raising an eyebrow in silent challenge.

Reese glanced down at her own Hound, then up at the new one. Without taking her eyes off it, “Ah…"

Kato maintained his smile.

As a child, his family had once taken a winter holiday to the Lake of Rage. It had been a frozen expanse, and he'd walked in pristine silence - until a booming crack shattered the air. A thousand, razor-thin lacerations spiderwebbed beneath his feet, and each nervous step brought another lightning snap...

It seemed an apt analogy to now, with the hackles bristling across their backs, and wisps of dark aura tumbling from mouths and seeping across the floor like some eldritch smoke...

Reese stared at the new Hound. She must be piecing it all together in her mind - but, to her credit, those previously smooth features crossed with scratches didn't once falter in showing her resolve. “I believe…" Reese murmured, “...that I'm being invited."

She waved a hand at Kato “You." she said, not taking her eyes off the new Hound, “Go first. Tell them not to attack, if they're smart." An eyebrow raised. “I'm not sure you could afford the cleanup costs."

“Full of Bravado, Miss Villeneuve." Kato said softly. “I hope, for your sake, that-"

“For the love of Arceus, just go."

***

To his credit, Reese noted, the man had barely shown how he'd shied away from the Hound as he'd climbed the stairs, walking as closely to the wall as possible.

Not that he'd been in any danger. The Hound had been staring, unblinking, at them.

But she had to go eventually. And so, she started up the stairs, one slow, measured step at the time. Dactyl crouched on her shoulder, talons cutting into her jumpsuit, wings half-raised and ready. By her side, Howling Gale matched her pace.

The new Hound watched them with narrowed eyes, that gaze driving into them both; Reese had a feeling not unlike having a gun pointed at her chest.

But only pointing. The Hound wasn't attacking. Good, Reese thought. It meant they were worried they might lose.

After a few steps, the Hound began to back up slowly, never taking his fierce gaze off them - and at the very edge of hearing, snarling; a low sound that unsettled the soul. He was bigger than Howling Gale by a couple of inches, with thicker fur and a stern, serious expression. Reese recognised the scars across his muzzle; he'd been one of the ones in the forest, pursuing her, then climbing over her with terrible claws and gnashing teeth.

There were no pheromones to save her now, no pack to follow. But Howling Gale remained by her side, and the two Mightyena regarded each other with wary stares.

They got to the top of the stairs. The new Hound turned, its head low, and stalked through the only doorway at the top.

Reese took a deep breath. She caressed Howling Gale's shoulders reassuringly with one hand, her fingers teasing the long, coarse, dark fur that tumbled across his back.

He'd been gently limping ever since that first fight, despite his efforts to hide it. She wasn't convinced that the drops of blood he left were all from others. But when she looked down, her eyes met his, and despite everything, she smiled. A trembling hand steadied itself against his face.

Alright, Reese thought. Now to see if they have any sense…

And so, in they went.

This floor of the building had not been finished yet. There was concrete overhead and underfoot, but that was about it; if any interior walls were planned, none were here, aside from those around the stairwell she just came through and around another one on the other side. The result was a vast, empty arena, making her feel very small indeed as she walked out into it. A chill wind blew from the open sides, and beyond the immense girders holding up the building's main superstructure, the distant lights of the city twinkled.

Her footsteps made loud thumps on the bare concrete. A small generator nearby quietly grumbled as she passed it, thick cables linked to crude, temporary tube lights scattered around the ceiling's girders.

The harsh lighting illuminated the small semicircle of people and Pokémon that awaited her. Six of the humans - three on each side - were suited, with hands clasped behind them, each one facing straight ahead in a strange, military-like stance. Guards, she figured - hired muscle, at least. The Pokemon - a Lucario, a Golem, a Rapidash, and two Durant - stood in wide stances with their heads low, staring. Their bodies twitched…

But no attacks were readied. No charges made. Reese let her gaze flick between each one in turn, studying them, playing the odds in her mind. Four Pokémon, six guards. On the surface, it sure didn't look good...

But she had her trump cards. She knew where the money was, for one thing - they needed her for that. And Dactyl was a ball of feathered fury ready to fight the only way a wronged boyfriend could. But more than that, she had Howling Gale. The Parfum Hound. Howling Gale would fight with every fibre of his being, her vicious lover who could cleave bone with his jaws…

But then, they had a Hound too.

A Hound which had stalked off ahead, towards the middle of the semi-circle. That was where Reese's 'friend' from the lobby now stood, beside-

Sammi. And standing just beside her was... Baroness Parfum?

“Reese!" Sammi squealed, surging forwards - there was the clink of handcuffs, and she was yanked backwards by the man from the lobby.

Dactyl reared up, opening his wings, but Reese held up a hand to his breast. She only glanced at Sammi, staying focused on the Baroness as she kept up her slow pace. “Hey Sammi. Cavalry's here."

The Rapidash grunted, the fire of its mane spluttering, head lowering as if to charge. Reese stopped, turning. “Ah-! I wouldn't do anything if I were you!" she shouted, even as Howling Gale took a single step forwards, claws crackling with sparks as he ground them against the floor. Reese turned to inspect each one in turn. “Unless any of you want to try your luck…?"

There was silence, apart from the crackling of the Rapidash's flames, and the sound slow, measured breathing.

Reese nodded slowly. “Good. Glad we have an agreement." She flashed a smile. False bravado was only false if you admitted it.

Her 'friend' from before stepped forward. “If I may-"

“You." Reese said. “Name."

The man paused. “Kato. Kato Harutaka." He gave a small bow as he answered, shallow enough to allow him to keep his gaze on Reese.

“Thanks. Kato Harutaka, shut up."

Kato stared at her, his face becoming an almost imperceptible amount icier. He turned to the side. “Baroness, may I-"

“No, shut up." The Baroness echoed. “Your organisation has failed me. I will handle this."

She walked forward with slow steps, one foot daintily in front of another. It was a walk that spoke of years of teaching, how to hold oneself as a member of the nobility.

“Baroness Parfum!" Reese forced a smile. “Didn't expect to see you down here. Shouldn't you be in your counting-house, sleeping on a pile of money?"

The Baroness came to a halt a few steps from them. Her Hound echoed each step. It was a strange mirror image of Reese and Howling Gale - though the Baroness didn't have a Staravia clawing her shoulder, trembling with rage.

“I'm here to get back what's mine," the Baroness said, her glowering face cloaked in sharp shadows. “My money and my Hound. Give me both, and you, your friend, and your Staravia can all walk out of here. Free."

Reese raised her head, narrowing her eyes at the Baroness. “Alright. Alright, noted. Counteroffer: you give me Sammi, and I'll stop Howling Gale from taking down every last person in this room - including you."

“I don't negotiate with criminals!" Baroness Parfum spat back.

“No, you just hire them," Reese said, raising her eyebrows. “You know what that makes you, right?"

“You don't want to get on my bad side, Miss Villeneuve," The Baroness said slowly. “Believe me. Delivering you to the authorities is the least of what I could do to you."

“I'd agree with that," Reese muttered. “If we get convicted, it'll be as the people who stole twenty-three million from the undeserving rich. We'd be celebrities." She gave a wide smirk.

One of the Baroness' eyebrows twitched upwards. “You do not believe that, not in the slightest. People like you crave your freedom like it was air itself. Also, I would not count on being loved by the public. Not... with what we know." she said, her words like the sound of a rapier being drawn.

Reese paused. Something caught in her chest.

Behind the Baroness, Sammi pulled at the handcuffs. “Reese… remember when we were escaping from Goldenrod? Y'know… on the boat…? ...They got a picture of us."

Reese flicked her gaze between Sammi and the Baroness… and then down at Howling Gale. He glanced up at her for just a moment.

“Ooooh… oh." Reese paused. “...Was it a good picture?"

“Reeeese!" Sammi blurted, “I knew you'd ask that!"

And then Sammi was chuckling, her body shaking with the barely contained laughter. Reese frowned, and so did the Baroness, who turned back to stare at her.

“And I deleted it!" she blurted enthusiastically between sniggers. “I wiped the server and the backups! They can't prove anything!"

The Baroness turned to Kato, then back to Reese. She did well - but not quite well enough - to hide the anger twitching across her face.

Reese gave a small hum. “So much for your little blackmail there. Sammi's good, ain't she? Love ya, Sam!" She shouted. She glanced around then, shoulders back confidently. “So - you know about me and Howling Gale, right? All of you?"

She leaned around the Baroness. Kato gave a slow nod. The Baroness continued to silently stare at her.

Reese nodded to herself. “Okay. Do you also know about me fucking the rest of your Hounds, or-"

“What!?"

The speed and strength of the Baroness' reply was like a bullet. Reese couldn't help but smile in response. “Oh, I get to tell you about that!" she said gleefully. “About how a little shake of the hips managed to save me from every single one of your Hounds?" Her eyes glimmered as she flicked her gaze down the Baroness' Hound. “Every one of them?"

The Baroness, to her credit, only barely took a slight step away from her Hound, and the look of disgust was quite restrained. “I… I..."

“How else did you think I escaped?" Reese smirked on one side of her face. Oh, this was a dangerous game, but Arceus, it was just so fun.

The Baroness peered at her. “...We weren't certain on that part yet," she bit.

“Meaning you had no idea. It's quite simple, Baroness. You sent your Hounds after me like they were a wild pack on a hunt. So I treated them as such. All I did was offer to sate their other instincts." She smiled broadly now. “It's an old saying, Baroness. When you treat your Pokémon like a wild animal, don't be afraid if they fuck like one."

There was an icy silence.

“...I haven't heard that saying..." Sammi said meekly.

“Sammi, I love you, I do, but you're terrible with banter."

The Baroness' expression could have soured berries at ten paces. “So is that how you stole my Hound? You waved your feminine wiles and corrupted him?"

“Hah. I wish I was that good. No, not entirely; I gave him the chance of a better life, an exciting life. One that didn't involve being kept in a fancy pen, only being let out to hunt down trespassers. Of course, what I don't quite understand is why don't they do that more often?"

The Baroness sniffed. “I give them food, water, shelter. Companionship - actual companionship, with their own species."

“Is that all?" Reese butt in, leaning forwards. “Oh, what a life! Don't worry about the barbed fences, we have kibble later!"

“They still stay with me. Can you explain that, in this fantasy world of yours?" The Baroness said haughtily.

Reese hesitated a moment. “...Admittedly? I'm still working on that one."

“It is because I care for my Hounds!" the Baroness bit back. “They are the best-treated pets in all of Kalos! And if you're done embarrassing me-"

Reese's shoulder was jolted as Dactyl spread his wings wide. “Easy, easy… careful what you say, Baroness."

But the Baroness waved a hand. “Are you so engrossed in your Pokémon lovers you are blind to what you are losing? If you don't do as I say, I will turn Miss Delacroix in to the police right now! How can any Pokémon be more worth than-"

Reese stumbled backwards as Dactyl launched himself from her shoulder. “No, Dactyl!"

The Staravia, however, wasn't listening - he flew low over the head of the Baroness, making her shriek in surprise, collapsing to the floor. He flapped his wings, diving towards Sammi.

In an instant, the Rapidash was there to greet him, great gouts of flame erupting from its mane and tumbling from its mouth. Fire spewed out towards Dactyl - but the Staravia rolled out of the way in a sharp curl of his wings. Before the Rapidash could react, he slammed into the side of its head, talons grabbing at its jawbone while wings flapped in a blur. For a moment the Rapidash reared back, and then tumbled to the ground with a flame-spluttered cry.

“Dactyl, stop!" Reese shouted, looking around, her hand pressing on Howling Gale's back, willing him not to attack. Dactyl was in a frenzy - he launched himself into the air again, turning to the guard behind Sammi, who was grabbing at a taser at their belt. Dactyl let out a piercing cry, dove towards them-

And was snatched effortlessly out of the air by the Baroness' Hound, jaws clamping around one leg with sickening crunch. With an effortless flick of the head, Dactyl was slammed to the floor, a paw pinning each wing, and a guttural snarl just inches away. Claws raked through defenceless feathers.

“Dactyl!" Sammi shrieked, only to be yanked back by the guard.

The rest of the Pokémon were moving. There was a rumble of rock and crackling of sparks. Reese took a step forward, and Howling Gale began to snarl. A fear, an anger, was building inside her. It erupted out of her mouth as she yelled.

“Don't move!"

And, surprisingly - thankfully - they stopped, wreathed as they all were in anticipation, determination. Humans and Pokémon alike turned to face her with expressions that spoke of their readiness to continue at any moment. For a moment there was silence, aside from the whisper of the wind and the low, simmering growls of the surrounding Pokémon, like volcanoes on the edge of erupting.

Reese panted heavily. She put her hand on Howling Gale's back - he was trembling in anticipation, heavy breath fogged with black aura.

The Baroness stood, dusting herself off slowly. She turned to Reese, her eyes narrowed, wrinkling the skin around them in thin, scalpel-like lines of shadow. “You just lost part of your bargaining power, Miss Villeneuve."

Reese glared at her. “If your Hound makes any more moves against Dactyl, or any of you try anything at all, Howling Gale will attack. He's a match for any Pokémon here and you know it. "

“Is he a match for every Pokémon though? And what about my Alpha? Are you willing to test him against them all?"

Reese's eyes flared. “Are you?"

Silence once more slipped over them.

The Baroness folded her hands in front of her. “My offer still stands, you know. My Hound, and my money. That's all I want, and your friend will be returned. And I'll include your bird now, as well."

“I didn't accept that before…" Reese growled.

“No, but you are moments away from losing everything you came in here with. I advise you... to take my offer."

Reese clenched her teeth. The bravado she forced into her voice was beginning to feel just that - forced, like she was refusing to look down at her crumbling foundations. A breeze kicked up, whipping at her hair; it was as if she was on the edge of a cliff, staring down at sharp rocks so, so far below…

“I assume you brought it," the Baroness said slowly. “Show it to me."

Reese knew what she was talking about. She hesitated for a moment, before reaching into a pocket of her jumpsuit, and pulling out what was inside. It was a small, gleaming pokéball, the one she'd retrieved from the cruise ship. Howling Gale's pokéball, with its matt gold finish, its weightiness, the word 'ECHO' engraved in elegant serif. She pressed the button, and it grew to its proper size, filling her palm. It was hot, almost vibrating with its proximity to Howling Gale himself.

Howling Gale was growling louder. She looked down at him - he was looking at the pokéball too, and had taken a step away. One front paw was raised warily.

The breeze picked up again, like a thousand whispers in Reese's ear.

“You know what you need to do." The Baroness said.

There was a lump in Reese's throat as she stared at the pokéball.

“Your choice is clear, Miss Villeneuve." The Baroness said. “A simple choice, too. Your friend, your very freedom, everything you know, or... a Pokémon you met not two weeks ago."

A tense silence settled, like the calm serenity of a ticking bomb.

Reese looked from the Baroness to Sammi, who was staring at her with a mixture of shock. What was she thinking, what would she say? Leave her? Fight? She couldn't possibly let Sammi and Dactyl take the fall, just for a chance for her to stay with her lover!

But then she stared at Howling Gale, who looked back up at her with narrow eyes. They seemed to sparkle with that ferocity, that intelligence that had drawn her in, like some howled siren's song. A month ago, she swore one couldn't read a Pokémon's expression - but the desperation in Howling Gale's eyes tore at her heart...

And… in the distance…

Howling Gale's ears pricked up. The Baroness tilted her head slightly. Reese, breathing slowly, tightened her grip on the pokéball as she recognised the sounds.

At the edge of perception, under the whistling wind, several cars were slowing down near the building. Stories below, rumbling engines being shut off, and doors slammed.

“The team that was sent to retrieve you have returned," the Baroness said. “They will be up here in minutes, I expect. Time is running out, Miss Villeneuve. Time to choose."

Reese breathed slowly. “Howling Gale can take out-"

“He cannot take out everyone here and you know it. Most certainly not now. You have no escape.

“This is it, Miss Villeneuve."

The wind whistling through the floor was icy cold now.

“Give me my Hound, Miss Villeneuve. You can sit in a jail cell for the rest of your life - or, you can use the pokéball, put it in my hand, and all three of you can walk out. Free."

Reese breathed in.

The world seemed to slow. The wind, the growls, the distant shouts - they all faded into utter, calm quiet, the slight movements of the Pokémon, the laps of flame, the twisting expression of the Baroness, all becoming so languid…

And a thought rushed through Reese's mind…

A single thought, the spawned smaller thoughts. A twisting synapse of idea and plan, sparking, glowing, filling her body with a golden fervour...

...Would that work?

She breathed out. How many times does one make a single decision that could drastically change their life? Not some everyday decision - do I ask that boy out, what school do I go to, what do I make my life's career - nothing so simple. Nothing so everyday.

How many times… does someone take a chance like this?

A smile, like dripping honey, spread slowly across her face. She straightened up, and raised her gaze to look directly at the Baroness.

Hey, at the very least, she might catch these fuckers in the flames.

With her other hand, she unzipped another pocket, and pulled her phone from it. She flicked the screen, and put it to her ear.

“Police, now," she said when prompted.

There was a shift in the atmosphere of the floor, each of the guards suddenly straightening up, staring, looking to each other. Reese simply smiled, even as it felt like a thousand pinpricks were scattering across her face.

“Viridian Police Department, what's your-"

“I need officers at Tower Four of the Viridian Life industrial complex, now. Me and my friends are being held hostage by a large group of people and Pokémon - they're armed."

The guards were drawing their weapons now, tasers being levelled at her. Pokémon turned to face her, the air shimmering with the auras they exuded as they stored up their powers.

“Don't worry ma'am, squad cars are en route, just stay calm. Stay on the line if you can. What's your na-"

Reese smirked, hung up the phone, and switched it off. She beamed at the still-staring assembled guards. Half a dozen tasers hovered, pointed towards her.

“Well look at that!" she shouted, “None of you willing to attack me, huh? Or do none of you really care that much about us? At least, I assume that you probably care more about the police stumbling onto a security organisation that's involved itself in blackmail and kidnapping - right?" She turned to each guard in turn, including their Pokémon.

“See, what will any of you gain from us being behind bars? Hm? A lot less than what you'll lose if you are, I'll bet. Especially with all those servers downstairs that haven't made love to an electromagnet..." She wiggled the phone. “I say you have, oh, five minutes?"

The Baroness stared at her, still in shock. “You're as much a criminal as they are!"

Reese raised an eyebrow. “Yeah. But when the cops are on their way… I say it's every Pokéfucker for herself."

She looked past the Baroness.

Kato stood near the bound Sammi, extremely still, eyes wide.

He moved to straighten his tie- then stopped, and exhaled sharply.

“Evacuation procedures," he said, his voice wavering. “Purge and run. NOW."

Reese stared at Kato, and the Baroness, as people rushed towards her and Howling Gale - and thundered right past, to the nearby stairwell. The Pokémon were hurriedly recalled; Reese's smile flickered in the red light.

The Baroness spluttered over the din, glaring at Reese. “Why? I cannot understand any of you! Why would you do that!?"

“You left out the money." Reese said. “You changed the deal. In that last offer, you only asked for Howling Gale. Oh, Baroness, you don't realise what you just gave away. And in the meantime, I imagine the police would be very interested in the clients of this particular agency."

The Baroness shook her head, backing away slowly. She turned; behind her, the only person left was Kato, still holding Sammi. The floor seemed so very empty now; from below came shouts and bangs of doors, a sense of urgency and terror palpable through the concrete itself.

Kato straightened up. “Baroness Parfum, if you'll excuse-"

“I will pay you a hundred thousand if you come with me. And bring that girl!"

Reese surged forwards, Howling Gale leaping as well - but just steps away from the Baroness, her Hound jumped between them, spittle flying from his mouth and his eyes glowing with aura. His claws screamed against the concrete floor.

“Reese!" Sammi shouted, already being pulled towards the opposite staircase.

“Alpha!" the Baroness shouted back. “Hold her off for as long as you can, then follow me!"

“Reese!"

Reese panted heavily, but her legs refused to move, pinned by the Mightyena's piercing red gaze, the teeth gleaming, and a growl so deep and guttural it vibrated the concrete floor and shook her feet. She watched in paralysed desperation as Sammi, kicking and shouting, was dragged by Kato through the far door, followed closely by the Baroness. Reese yelled in annoyance, feeling suddenly, utterly powerless.

The Hound's lips pulled back over a maw crackling with electricity; sharp, blinding zaps lanced between his fangs.

Howling Gale assumed a similar stance, with his head higher, his mouth closed and teeth clenched, but his gaze fixed and tail straight. Beneath that grey fur, muscles rippled, ready to pounce.

Just beyond the Hound, Dactyl was pulling himself to his feet. The poor Staravia stumbled, blood dripping from his punctured wings. But he looked to the far staircase, and with those muffled shouts and heavy footsteps getting fainter by the second, the determination in those black eyes was palpable.

For a moment, Reese wondered what he'd do. Attack the Hound? He was hurt, he couldn't survive another attempt! But the line of thinking was cut off as the limping, hissing Staravia dragged itself away from them, across the floor...

When he reached the edge of the building, he spread his wings, and dropped over the side. Reese watched for several painful seconds, but he didn't re-emerge.

Oh, Dactyl, I hope you know what you're doing...

And Reese was suddenly much more alone, so tiny in this arena. She turned to look back at the scarred Hound. There was something about a snarling Mightyena that made anyone freeze. Perhaps it was the raw power that emanated from them like a searing bonfire, or perhaps the fact that their teeth, you couldn't help but be reminded, were level with your stomach.

She willed herself to move, to try and get around him - but despite everything she'd been through, despite even facing this very Mightyena before, she couldn't will herself to do so. She was suddenly back in that forest again, feeling so naked, alone, and at the whims of those devilishly sharp claws...

She drew in a shaky breath.

“You don't have to obey her," Reese said, her voice shaky. She couldn't take her eyes off those gleaming fangs.

The Hound turned his glowing crimson eyes on her.

“You don't have to follow her commands. The safety of your friends, your brothers in the pack, doesn't depend on her. Please, see."

She put a hand on Howling Gale's neck. Was it her pulse or his that she could feel racing beneath her fingers?

“I know you think there's no way out. Because she'll do anything to get you back - that's what you're so scared of, isn't it? That no matter how far you run, she'll find you, punish you, drag you back? You think it's inevitable, don't you?"

Her other hand trembled. She clenched her fist. “And I understand! Even now, she's travelled across the world, spent hundreds of thousands, risked everything just to find Howling Gale. You think her reach has no limit-"

The snarl grew louder. The Hound's mouth opened wider, claws dragged along the floor. A bolt of electricity from that crackling maw earthed itself on the ground just in front of them, leaving a blackened mark that gently smoked.

“- but it doesn't!" Reese's heartbeat hammered in her ears. She crouched, forcing herself to eye level with him. “Please… Alpha. Listen to me. You deserve more than what she gives you. You deserve freedom." She drew in short, shaky breaths. “And you can get it. I promise that you can. I promise that she can't chase you forever."

Her legs trembled. Static crept across her vision as her body rebelled against the idea of being so close to such a beast, at her fighting that deep, instinctual knowledge of being just one bite away from a bitter end.

“You can be free," she said softly. “Look at how much Howling Gale and I have done. Look at how much I'm fighting to make it so."

Her hand tightened on Howling Gale's neck fur, and she pulled herself closer to him. It was his heartbeat she felt now, for sure - and it was so strong, the powerful rhythm like a warm blanket. She breathed in slowly, not taking her eyes off Alpha, who simply glared at them, muscles bunched, a moment away from a fatal pounce.

“Please…"

***

Icy wind screamed over the open wounds, leaving sprays of blood in his turbulent wake. He flapped his wings once; for a moment, he gained height - but pain seized him, making him tense up and cry, and he found himself dropping back down once more. No, no! How many floors was that now?

Dactyl stared up at the roof of the building, so far away now. He could think of nothing else, look at nothing else. Visions of his love being dragged away sped past his eyes; his heart stung with a pain far worse than any Mightyena could possibly inflict.

He flapped again - briefly clawing himself upwards - and screeched, curling his wings against his body out of instinct. The air rushed past him as gravity's cold, unfeeling grip reached up to grab him once more.

His vision whirled, and he caught a glimpse of the great orange web of roads spread out beneath him, a thousand, multicoloured stars of road lights, buildings, cars all caught in it. Getting closer by the second.

He had to save her! He had to! Yet the powerlessness crept through his body, the dark cloak of despair. He stared up at the sky, tears flitting from his eyes, and let out a fierce cry.

And his wings were twitching, trembling - but increasingly, not just from the pain. It was slow at first, like a warm heat seeping from between his feathers. His heart began to beat faster, harder, blood forced around his body.

No. No! He wouldn't fail! Another cry. His brow furrowed, beak wide open. His vision became clearer, sharper. He flapped again - and this time, he found himself breaking through the pain, surging up into the air.

He kicked at the air, flapping again and again. A lump rose in his throat, and he shouted of pain and despair and love. He would save her!

Dactyl climbed higher and higher, caught in this tempest of adrenaline. The side of the building flickered with spirals of light.

Against the black night sky, his body burned with a blinding glow.

***

Wind whipped at the Baroness' hair. She clung onto the side of the helicopter, watching Kato climb inside, dragging the kicking girl along with him.

“Word on the radio is evacuation, sir!" the pilot shouted from the cockpit. “I'm not flying with police on their way"

The Baroness leaned around the side of the helicopter. If one could stare daggers, the Baroness was glaring great cleaving swords.

“Pilot, I will pay you double your year's pay in cash if you get us out of here."

The pilot stared at her for a moment, eyes wide behind his clear visor. For a moment, his gaze wobbled as his mind spun with the brief mental maths.

“Yes ma'am," he replied eventually, turning back to hastily start flicking switches.

The Baroness pulled herself inside after Kato, making sure to stay clear of the girl's mad flailing - difficult, in such a cramped cabin. She crouched down in the chair closest to the door, her back to the pilot, and stared out across the empty roof of the building, its black shape draped in shadows against the bright carpet of the city's lights.

Above them, the long, draping arms of the helicopter's blades began their lazy spin. “Don't take off yet!" the Baroness shouted over the rumbling of the engine. “Not until my Hound is here! That's an order!"

“Yes Ma'am!" The pilot shouted. “But I-"

SLAM.

The entire helicopter heaved, pitching forwards for an instant before crashing back down onto its skids. There was a crash of glass. The Baroness yelped, grabbing onto the door frame as she was almost thrown from her seat.

“Holy shit!" came a shout from the pilot. The Baroness turned around.

Something was on the outside of the helicopter, beneath the whirling blades, climbing around the airframe. Dull, metallic thumps resonated around the cabin. The Baroness pushed herself away from the door just as its silhouette appeared; the dull red lighting of the cabin gleamed off a devilishly sharp beak, and reflected in dark, piercing eyes. Swept-back ears flanked a crest of feathers looking everything like a fierce scythe. For an instant, the Baroness shrank under the glare of the - no, not a Staravia. A Staraptor.

She surged forwards in a fit of desperation, grabbing at the handle of the door and yanking it across - but blade-like talons bigger than her hand grabbed the metal just before it closed. She jolted back as they squeezed the edge of the metal, twisting it with a screeching, crunching sound. It forced the door back open, and this time, the talons came for her.

The Baroness shrieked, cowering behind her raised arms - there was a shout from Kato, and then…

She lowered her arms as the Staraptor pulled the girl out of the cabin with a delicate, almost reverent slowness. The girl herself was staring up at him with wide-eyed shock, wonder, which slid into a broad, unsurpassed grin of relief.

“D… Dactyl!?"

The Baroness' chest rose and fell, frozen in place in the shadow of that great bird. Ponderously, it jumped down from the helicopter, landing on one foot. The powerful downdraft from the helicopter's blades caught at its feathers, but its outspread wings kept it stable. Gently, it laid the beaming girl down on the ground.

Above the din, there was a slam; across the roof, a door had opened. The Baroness pushed herself up - and her heart leapt at the unmistakable sight of Alpha, stalking closer to the helicopter.

But the smile slid from her face as at the threshold appeared the other Mightyena, and following in his wake, Reese.

“Sammi!"

“Reese! I'm… I'm okay, but…"

The Baroness pulled herself from the clawed airframe of the helicopter. She seemed to force some decorum into herself as she walked out from beneath the blades and stood daintily on the rough ground of the roof, smoothing down her dress flapping in the wind. “What did you do!?" she demanded, stepping towards them.

Alpha sat down a few paces from the Baroness. Reese and Howling Gale stopped a few paces before that. Their shoulders were back, heads held high. Howling Gale's tail swayed gently from side to side.

“I just did what I did with Howling Gale." Reese said. Her voice was raised to be heard over the helicopter's din, yet it was still calm, confident.

The Baroness looked her up and down. “Your clothes are still on."

Reese raised an eyebrow. “I told him the truth, Baroness. That you can't pursue him forever. That he deserves the freedom that Howling Gale has seized. That he has a chance for a better life."

“They have a wonderful life with me!"

“Baroness, do you want to know why Howling Gale came with me? And why what you're saying is Tauros shit?"

The Baroness was silent.

Reese breathed in. “You, Baroness, have 'made it'. In this world, practically everyone else strives their whole lives, work and toil to make just a fraction of the money that you have. And you were born into it. But I'm not saying that jealous greed is what's wrong with you.

“Everyone needs their life to have meaning. And for some, that involves trying to get the fuck-off amounts of money that you use as a mattress every night. But what do you do when you have that, hm? What's your goal when you've already got the goal?"

Reese put her hands in her pockets. “It's reputation, isn't it, Baroness? That's what you've poured your self-worth into. How the rest of the nobility see you, how the landless rabble looks up to you - that's what you strive for in life. You, the Baroness of Parfum Palace, with your Hounds feared the world over. From Johto to Galar, everyone knows that if you trespass and steal from the Baroness Parfum, claws and teeth will be your spoils."

She gave a small smile. “But then there's us. A glaring hole in the narrative. All of a sudden, the news feeds are all abuzz with the people who beat the Hounds. And just like that, your reputation teeters on the edge of a cliff." She paused. “I'm right, aren't I?"

The Baroness was silent, her eyes narrowed.

The wind of the helicopter's downdraft was catching at Reese's hair, sending great spikes of it flying back from her face. “It was the final deal you offered me, Baroness, that tipped me off," she continued. “You didn't ask for the money. You just asked for Howling Gale. You're desperate to get him back before the media starts thinking he's gone for good and starts to ask why. So desperate, you'd gladly lose twenty-three million to maintain that reputation."

“You offend me!" the Baroness gasped. “You think I can't just train up a new Hound? Put on some permanent fur dye, and no news station would know the difference!"

“You would." Reese said. “And thing is, you believe the facade that you've shown the world. No - more than that. You base so much of your worth on the Hounds, you've deluded yourself into thinking you're their hero, their beloved owner. So dedicated, that when one of them wanders off, you do everything you can to bring back your little, lost Mareep."

Reese breathed out slowly. “Because they are lost, aren't they? They wouldn't leave of their own accord. They're lucky to be your Hounds, dining off your table scraps. Because, if that's not true, if you let yourself believe it's a lie, it brings down your entire, shaky empire of self-worth." She looked down at the floor for a moment, taking a breath. “I'm right, aren't I? Don't answer. I know I am. Because I wasn't too dissimilar to you, not too long ago."

There was a tense pause of expectation. Even Alpha had turned to watch her now.

“I never had a Pokémon growing up. Neither did my family. They were around, I saw people with them, but really, what were they apart from pets? I appreciated them, I respected them. True, they're loved, they're alive and conscious, and they have a place in our society, but nothing like us. They weren't people to me."

She rested a hand on Howling Gale's shoulder, letting her fingers brush through his fur. He watched her out of the corner of his eye.

“But then I met him. And he taught me something I'd been too closed off from their world to realise. Pokémon are so much more than what you think they are, Baroness. They're intelligent, empathetic, incredible beings. They're just like us."

Reese lowered her head. “But you refuse to admit that. It's easier to convince yourself of the lie that you love them, a collection of thoughtless animals, than to admit to yourself that you're merely using such wonderful, smart Pokémon as tools for your self-obsession."

Despite the howling wind and the roar of the helicopter's engine, a silence fell over them.

The Baroness stared at Reese, but her expression was not as hard as it once was. There was pain in those wet eyes. “So is this it?" she said, softly. “Is this where you tear another Hound from me?"

Reese gave a slow sigh. “Actually? No."

Between them, Alpha rose slowly. He gave a cursory glance to Reese and Howling Gale, before walking slowly towards the Baroness - who just stared as he turned, and sat down by her side.

“Alpha, or whatever he'd rather be named, has decided to stay. Out of his own volition. Which is more than can be said for the rest of your Hounds." Reese found herself gently stroking Howling Gale's head. “But don't think this is status quo. He's seen what he could have outside, what they all deserve, and they'll all know of that soon.

“You want to pride yourself on being beloved by your Hounds? Here's your chance."

The Baroness's posture had slumped. She stared down at Alpha, her face a mix of emotions; anger, despair, shame, defeat. She looked up slowly. “Even if you… you people are right about this, you are still criminals. And I know who you are! I could turn you both in the moment I get back."

Reese shook her head. “You won't."

“Why not?" she said, an edge beneath the fear in her voice.

“Because that'll prove me right." Reese said, more softly now. “Mightyena are loyal creatures, Baroness. Maybe you could try being worthy of that loyalty, that respect. See what they'll do."

“And we'll be watching!" Sammi stammered, still being supported by Dactyl's new, large wings. “To make sure you do."

And that was that. A change had fallen in the air, and now there was no sense that the Baroness had any power here. Not anymore.

The Baroness rose, and silently she turned and walked back to the helicopter. Alpha followed, falling in step behind her.

As she walked, a quivering hand reached out - paused… then reached out again. The tips of her fingers just brushed the fur on Alpha's back.

The Baroness turned back around when she reached the helicopter, giving them one last look. Reese, beside Howling Gale, her hand on his neck, his shoulder against her hip. And Sammi, half-crouched with exhaustion, wrapped by Dactyl's immense wings like a blanket.

Reese smiled as the questions of a human's relationship with a Pokémon were silently answered.

Then the Baroness climbed inside, sitting next to the wide-eyed, wisely-silent Kato, while Alpha seemed to loom over the entire cabin. The deformed door was pulled as closed as it could be, and a moment later the damaged helicopter lumbered into the sky, becoming nothing more than a dull shape against the stars.

The roar of the engine faded into the distance. Eventually, all that was left was the wind, and the distant sounds of the night-time city, so, so far below.

Silently, the four of them looked at each other. It was almost like a dream - no, not that; more like they'd just woken up from a dream, and were trying to figure out reality.

Reese opened her mouth, frowned, and then said “...I know I can be a bit inattentive, but, wasn't Dactyl a Staravia before?"

Sammi squealed, making Howling Gale visibly wince. “I KNOW! Dactyl! You've EVOLVED!" She turned, putting up her cuffed hands to ruffle at the vast feathers of the suddenly much-larger bird. Dactyl, now coming up to Sammi's chest, chirped in annoyance and tried to pull away from the ruffles - but quickly let them happen, moving in to embrace Sammi again with his wings.

Reese sighed, and slumped to the ground, rubbing her forehead with the back of one hand. Howling Gale stepped closer, and she looked up at his smiling face, eyes gleaming against the dark skies. They hugged, arms and forelegs tightly wrapped around one another.

And then Sammi was there too, and Dactyl, collapsing into a pile. The four of them squeezed each other, laughing, chirping, growling.

“We did it!" Sammi said, breathlessly.

Reese beamed and pressed her head into Howling Gale's scruff, eyes screwed shut. “We did it." she said, and rubbed a tear away on his fur. “It's over. It's done."

After a while, distant sirens played across the wind, seeping through the sweet, calm atmosphere. Reese glanced to the side of the building, then to Sammi, as the sound of police cars became all the more distinct.

“Oh. Right." Reese said sheepishly, her voice quieter now. “That was me, wasn't it?"

Sammi smiled reluctantly at her. “You have a plan, right?"

Reese opened her mouth, and then winced. “Dammit!" She pounded the ground with a fist. “I was gonna demand a ride on the helicopter…"

“Reese!"

“Hey, it was a moment. You can't just… interrupt a moment."

Dactyl nipped at Sammi's arm. She yelped, rubbing her skin - then frowned, looking up at her lover. “I… hey. I think Dactyl has a plan."

Reese and Howling Gale looked up as the Staraptor spread his wings, the wide reach seeming to eclipse half the night sky. He closed his eyes, a broad look of pride on his beak.

Reese laughed. “Sure. Sure! That works." She smirked to herself, leaning back to look the Staraptor over. “But… do you think you can really carry three of us?"

Dactyl paused, opening his eyes and blinking. His wings drooped.

Reese frowned. “...Two?"

Dactyl cocked his head thoughtfully, and nodded.

Reese and Sammi looked at each other. Reese's mouth hung open. “But… that means we-"

Howling Gale grunted, rolling his eyes. He pawed suddenly at one of Reese's pockets, and she shuffled to the side in surprise as the golden pokéball rolled out of it.

“Hey, wh-" she started, but got no more out before Howling Gale had grabbed it in his jaws, and flicked his tongue against the button. He looked up at Reese even as the ethereal glow swam across his body, a broad smirk written across his whole face, before he disappeared in a cherry-red flash. The pokéball rang like a gong as it landed on the ground.

“No, no!" Reese said, grabbing at it. “No, I was gonna, like, break this when this was over!"

“Reese…"

“I was gonna make a whole show of releasing him! It would have been the crowning conclusion! He can't just go and climb into it just because it's reasonable!"

“Reese, the cops are here right now!"

Reese sighed and begrudgingly stood up, staring down at the warm, twitching pokéball. It looked up at her admonishingly.

“The symbolism would have been perfect," she muttered, smiling, as Sammi climbed up onto Dactyl's back.

She didn't stop looking at it, even as Dactyl spread his wings and took off. A moment later, his claws curled around her shoulders as he lifted her from the ground, while she clutched the pokéball tightly against her chest.

The dark tower sank away and disappeared. Spreading out beneath them, the distant city glowed a little brighter, and they soared away in the freedom of the open air.

***

Several Months Later

Purple spotlights flashed over the assembled mass of dancing, gyrating bodies on the floor below. It caught the exposed skin of arms reaching to the sky, hair whipping around, low-cropped tops and fishnet armbands. Above them, a bright, neon-violet sign spelt out Lucidity in curling letters.

The music had been spiralling through a tumbling tempest of synthesized melodies, turning into an interlude of a firm, pounding beat. It was vibrating the very nightclub itself, each one jolting the rail she was leaning against, each thump resonating through her body…

Or was that just Howling Gale?

She gasped, leaning back her head as Howling Gale pressed his own against her shoulder. His claws dug into her chest, a knife-like grip that kept him in place as those muscled hips pounded away at her rear. She had to force her legs to stop trembling, but it was tough to think about anything else than that thick, bulging shaft thrusting again and again between her lips.

Could they see? Probably not; this walkway was high enough above the dance floor that she was shrouded in shadow, and anyone happening to cast their eyes to the sky would see little more than the blinding spotlights. Hm, maybe a silhouette, and outline of his gyrating body on hers. She could hope…

Someone was shouting above the music. It took her a moment to make it out.

“Reese!?"

Reese opened her eyes slowly, looking to the side. Sammi had half-stepped onto the walkway. Her expression could have been framed and hung as a picture - and Reese would have tried to take one, if she wasn't completely naked, and thus sadly phoneless.

“Wha-at?" Reese shouted back, jolted by another thrust. “You want something?"

“Reese! They might see! Sammi said, reluctantly walking up to her.

“So? This is literally what the club is about."

“You told me it was gonna be discrete!"

“I am being discrete! I'm - gah! - not doing it against the bar, am I?"

Sammi's pouting face was beautiful. In Reese's ear, Howling Gale grunted.

“He says hi, by the way."

Sammi looked away, blushing furiously. “Reese, I need to talk to you about the DJ for tomorrow. He says he can't make it, we need to find a replacement, but all the other ones were expensive, remember?"

Reese shrugged, jostling Howling Gale. “Just - nnf - hire them anyway. We've got the money." Claws dug deeper into her swinging breasts. She bit her lip, stifling another moan, her fingers trembling. “Oh fuck, HG…"

“But if we wanna keep that money, we need to be prudent!"

“Sammi dearest, I love you, but I don't come into yours and Dactyl's bedroom at night and lecture you about financial responsibility while you're sucking down some bird dick."

“REESE!"

Reese smirked. “And isn't it supposed to be Auntie Reese now? Auntie Reese, Auntie Sammi, matrons of this entire place? That was your idea, after all!"

When Sammi didn't respond, still looking away, Reese gave a short sigh, and tried to focus on her friend. It was hard to look at her, what with her vision being jostled over and over again. “C'mon, Sammi, it's opening night! Live a little. Take your head out of the numbers and dive into the pit or something. Just for an hour, at least?"

Sammi sighed, and eventually leant against the rail with her. Suddenly she blushed again.

Reese grinned. “You can feel his thrusts through the walkway, can't you?"

Sammi grimaced. “Does… this count as a threesome?"

Reese laughed, and eventually, so did Sammi. The beat, which had been climbing for the last minute, finally dropped, and the entire floor below them broke out into a frenzy of renewed dancing. For a while, they just watched them; the energy they gave off was infectious. Howling Gale certainly seemed to think so.

“Alright…" Sammi said, smiling. “I can take some time off. But just for a little while."

“Atta girl. How's the back room, by the way?"

“Um… fifteen people, last count?" Sammi said, tapping at her mouth. “Four've been and gone-"

“Come and gone, you mean?"

Sammi smirked. “Yeah-huh. Satisfied customers. Reese, I think this is going to work!"

“Of course it is!" Reese said gleefully, arching her back, grunting as she closed her eyes. “Ahhh, what self-respecting Pokémon trainer hasn't fantasized about this stuff on some dark forest night?"

“What do you know about training Pokémon?"

“Well, I do know about fuckin' em…" She turned to Sammi again. “I'm proud of you, by the way. You're doing well. Usually, you run off screaming when you see this."

“Just because Dactyl and I have some decorum!"

“Oh, come on. Tell me you don't want thi- ahhhh…" She'd wiggled her hips at that last word, but Howling Gale bit down on the back of her neck, fangs driving into her skin to hold her in place.

Sammi watched it all with a vaguely worried expression. “You mean you're not gonna be exclusive?"

“Mmmf… this relationship started off with me getting gangbanged by an entire pack… I think exclusivity went off the table long ago - fuck..."

Sammi's expression twitched with a smile. For a while, they looked at the club again, spread out before them in glowing, violet neon.

“Thank you…" Sammi said, eventually.

“Again?"

“I wanna say it," Sammi said, smiling again - and it was a sweet smile now, genuine in a way that Sammi so often embodied. “You risked everything to save me."

Reese smirked. She held up a fist. Sammi hesitated, before giving in and giving her a fist-bump.

“Hah!" said Reese with a smirk. “You just touched someone getting fucked by a Mightyena."

Sammi beamed. “Oooh, I'd better not catch the Poképhilia."

“Hey!" Reese slapped the rail. “Banter! Nice work, Sammi. I'll make you a true Auntie of Lucidity yet."

There was some growing commotion down below. One of Reese's knees buckled as Howling Gale gave a particularly good thrust, and she let out a gasp of delight, her vision spinning. It took effort to heave herself over the rail, forcing herself through the pleasure to stare down. Amongst the fog drifting around the dance floor and the flittering spotlights, one could just make out a handful of upturned faces, pointing fingers, and all manner of expressions - shock, laughter, delight, curiosity…

“Oooh…" Reese muttered. “I think we've been noticed."

Sammi jumped away from the rail like it was electrified. “Nope! Nope! I'm out! I'm going!" She threw up her hands, marching back down the walkway.

“Love you, Sammi!"

“Gah! Love you too, but, GAH!"

Reese laughed, as Howling Gale clambered further up, sticking his head over her shoulder. She nuzzled him, cheek against cheek. “Mmm, what's the matter, big boy? Oooh, or do you just wanna be seen?"

He gave a long, low growl, tongue hanging from his muzzle. Of course I do, she read.

Reese laughed again, grabbing his head in her arm and pulling him close, kissing his cheek. “Love you too, babe," she said, beaming wide.

His thrusts became renewed in vigour, his swelling knot slapping past her folds, straining briefly at her entrance each time. He turned, and shoved his tongue into her mouth, lapping at her teeth. Reese immediately fell into a pseudo-trance, opening her mouth wider. She revelled in the taste of his tongue, at the way his fangs caught on her lips. From below there was a cheer, peals of laughter just heard above the spiralling electronica.

Above the violet nightclub of Lucidity, from its Pokémon dancers gyrating on poles to the raucous masses of the dancefloor, a canine muzzle pressed across human lips. Fangs scraped over blunt teeth, and two so very different tongues entwined and explored and tasted, as Reese and her wild lover indulged in a hungry, passionate, incredible kiss.

Fin