The Platinum Syndicate Part 3: Reprieve

Prologue

Nickel was sitting on his desk, Thicket floating right in front of him. The former adjusted his glasses, staring at his business partner.

"I'm not gonna treat my crew any different than I do now," he told her. "They're a quarter of the way to being competent, and being soft will just breed complacency."

Thicket sighed, shaking her head. "It wouldn't kill you to be a bit nicer to them, you know," she replied. "Maybe if you helped and supported your gang instead of screaming in their ears, they'd do better. Oh, and I heard about what you made Cobalt do during the bank robbery. What kind of leader endangers their own subordinates like that?"

Nickel paused, glaring at Thicket. He took deep breaths in an attempt to remain calm. "I had make him wake Shanks up, or else the robbery would've been a bust," he informed her. "I didn't know they had a bunch of bats in the vault, and Team B would've been beat if he didn't bust down the vault door. If anything, he saved your Rattata from getting shipped off to jail!"

Thicket knew Nickel was being short-sighted. There was another path that he was blind to. "Fighting wasn't the only option," she corrected him. "They could've easily retreated through the cave Dewalt dug up, and he could've collapsed it behind them. In my opinion, it would've been better that they retreated, instead of you needlessly endangering your oldest gang member for a quick buck. Do you even know what'll happen if you keep this behavior up?"

"Absolutely nothing will happen, that's what!" Nickel yelled. "This is my gang, and what I say goes!"

"What if they decide they don't want to follow your orders?" Thicket asked. "What if they rebel against you? You're a good tactician, sure, but you can't fight. They could just squish you and be done with their day! Being a leader isn't just about giving orders. You need to make sure they know they're in good hands and that you care about them. I know you like to think about yourself first, but you aren't going to have an effective, stable gang if you keep treating them like tools instead of Pokemon."

Nickel was shocked into silence by Thicket's words. He never thought about things that way, his ego having clouded his judgement. His vision and dreams impacted against the cold, hard wall of realism – he was too small and weak to fight back against a potential coup. In fact, no revolution was needed! A disgruntled gang member could simply step or sit on him by "accident" and no one would ever know about their treachery. "I get your point," Nickel conceded. "I guess I can treat everyone to something nice. Heck, I'll let you and your brewery crew come along. They hauled off most of the goods, so I suppose they deserve some time off."

Thicket smiled at Nickel, satisfied with the outcome of the conversation. She knew she probably wouldn't be able to cure him of his selfishness, but at least she could help him keep things stable.

A Rat's Luck

My whiskers twitched as I sniffed the alcohol before me. Just by the scent, I could tell that it was of a lower stock than anything Thicket or the rest of the Rattata could make. Nickel had done something seemingly altruistic for a change and invited us to a bar in a town some time away from Capim, promising to pay the tab. However, there was a small twist that gave me the hint that it wasn't done out of the goodness of his heart:

The bar we were at was the cheapest, crappiest one he could find. It gave me the impression that he felt like he had to do it, instead of wanting to. The booze smelled like liquid death, some of the floorboards were rotting, and the stools could give out at any moment. In fact, Shanks' had, crumbling into a heap of broken wood the moment he sat upon it. He didn't seem bothered, though, instead standing as he drank glass after glass of whiskey. Remembering the time he beat Cobalt, I silently prayed that being drunk wouldn't bring out the devil we all knew was inside of him.

I sat there, anxiously watching him for a few minutes before someone's voice snapped me out of it. I turned and seen Dewalt looking at me. "Are you alright?" He asked. "You look very nervous, Makau."

I sighed, stress refusing to leave my body. "I'm worried that the big guy will go on a rampage once he's drunk enough," I responded. "I've heard and seen what he can do! How am I supposed to sleep at night knowing there's a psycho who can punch through steel living under our roof?"

"He forced himself into the gang," Dewalt informed me. "You knew he was going to be here, so why did you come? I know none of the other Rattata would – they said something about wanting to lay low after the last job."

I nodded. "Yep, that's the truth," I replied. "We all wanted someone to accompany Thicket, though, in order to represent us. Everyone else, uh..." I paused for a moment, reluctant to finish my sentence. "They forced the responsibility on me, since I was the one who helped recruit them all in the first place. I'm sort of considered the boss when Thicket isn't around, and it feels kind of weird. I'm too much of a coward to be a leader, yet they insist on it!"

"Maybe you're better at your job than you think," Dewalt said. "On the topic of Shanks, though, I've noticed something about him." A small, satisfied smile crept up on his face. "He's strong, but he's a dim brute. If he tries anything, I'll just throw a Sleep Seed at him – he's too tubby to dodge. Now, do try and enjoy our little trip. Getting Nickel to do anything generous is like pulling teeth, so savor this little diversion while it lasts."

I chuckled at Dewalt's last comment, knowing just how accurate it was. "It's kind of hard to like this place when you know they're serving absolute swill," I jokingly complained. "Thicket refused to drink it after her first taste. She said that she wouldn't serve it to-"

My thoughts were interrupted by Nickel's voice. "What the heck do you want?" He asked someone, my head turning to see that a Honedge was hovering by our table.

"Who in the world are you ruffians, and why did you decide to grace this shoddy, ramshackle establishment?" The Honedge asked. "I journey every week to drown my memories away in liquor, and I know your lot aren't from around here. What is the reason that brought you to this place?"

"I'm no ruffian!" Dewalt replied, slightly offended by the new guest's choice of words. "Sure, I'm in the company of a couple, but I actually know my manners."

Nickel rubbed his head, looking annoyed. "We're here to unwind," he told the Honedge. "I don't get why you think we're bad news, though. We're law-abiding citizens just like you!"

The Honedge spiraled into uncontrollable laughter, having found some sort of humor in his words. "I've done plenty of globetrotting in my centuries of life, boy, and I can pick out scoundrels with my eye blinded!" He responded. Cobalt took up a defensive position, clearly unnerved by the stranger's talk. "Don't act like a feeble Wimpod, dweller of the deep, I have no intention on apprehension!" The Honedge tried to reassure him. "Why, I'm not always on the right side of the law myself. Will you calm down if I introduce myself?"

Cobalt groaned, getting back up on his seat. "Yeah, sure, do whatever," he mumbled. "You aren't cutting me up, and that's what counts."

"You're a man of pragmatism, I see," the Honedge observed. "I've gone by many titles, but my true name is Caerwyn. I've donned many masks in my life – hero, villain, and everything in-between. It gets very droll doing the same thing for too long, especially when you are... "gifted" with a lifespan such as mine."

""Centuries of life"?" Nickel questioned. He pointed over to Shanks, who was surrounded by glass after glass of alcohol. "You're older than that grandpa we lug around, then."

Caerwyn's single, blue eye squints at the Slowbro. "What a peculiar specimen," he uttered. "His eyes communicate a sort of dimness, yet at the same time, I feel a great intensity in his stare! There's a savage, bestial nature in it that I rarely see, and furthermore, he must've traveled a great way to come here! How did you acquire such an ally?"

Ampere looked at the Honedge, curiousity in her eyes. "How do you know he's traveled a bunch?" She asked. "Shanks is pretty kickass, although kind of scary. I thought he was a local!"

"He isn't," Caerwyn replied. "As far as I know, Slowbro like your compatriot are not native to the Grass Continent. The only place I've seen those with that particular mutation is the southern Water Continent, although there could be other populations I am unaware of. I could tell you of some of my escapades in that locale if one of you buys me a drink. I am running a bit low on my pecuniary reserves, and I'd like a bit more time before I return to banditry."

"You can have mine!" Ampere blurted out, pushing her drink closer to him. "I wanna hear about your adventures, old-timer. I need to get my dose of action somehow, especially since squid-boy and Nickel keep demanding we lay low!"

"I'm an octopus, you idiot," Cobalt replied. "I'm not one of those Malamar freaks, and I don't appreciate you lumping me in with them."

"This is no time to be arguing about semantics!" Caerwyn blurted out. "I demand absolute silence while I recount my history! Do I make myself clear?"

No one said a word. "Very good," Caerwyn said. "Now, during my first time on the Water Continent, I was a member of a party of adventurers..."

---

1 Hour Later...

---

"...and then, I cut the brigand in twain, causing half of their number to flee in terror!" Caerwyn continued to drone on about "the good old days" as I struggled to not take a nap on the spot. Ampere and Thicket were enthralled by the old man's storytelling, but I frankly just wasn't interested.

I hopped up from my stool and began to scurry around the bar, looking for something to occupy my time. There weren't many others in the establishment, although I did spot a table taken up by four bugs – an Accelgor, an Escavalier, a Lokix, and an Orbeetle. I hid behind another table and began to listen in on them, my curiosity getting the better of me.

"I can't believe the awful luck we've been having," the Orbeetle complained. "It feels like every job we've taken as of late has blown up in our face. It doesn't matter if we're bounty hunting, exploring, or if it's even some stupid rescue mission – it always goes wrong!"

"At this rate, we might have to retire," the Accelgor replied. "Maybe we aren't cut out to be explorers like you thought."

"That's quitter talk!" The Lokix butted in. "There will always be hard times in life! One must face them head-on, instead of giving up! We'll find our lucky break, I just know it!"

"Wait a minute," the Escavalier muttered. "Do you see those folk talking with that Honedge over there?"

"What about them?" The Orbeetle asked. "They don't seem too special to me."

"I recognize that Gimmighoul that's with them from a wanted poster," the Escavalier said. "It said he was the leader of an entire gang – one that's all gathered up in one place, and most likely inebriated. Coralling all those Pokemon at once is sure to earn us a modest paycheck, at minimum."

"Are you sure we can take that many at once?" The Accelgor replied, sounding concerned. "We're outnumbered. Even if they're weak, they have the advantage in numbers."

"That just means we'll have to use our heads," The Lokix responded, standing back up. "Escavalier, are there any Pokemon in that group you think could give us trouble?"

"There's one," Escavalier stated. "That Slowbro's a killer, and a well-seasoned one at that. I don't know how they swayed him over to their side, but we'll need to be careful with him. I've got an idea on how to deal with him. Lokix, Accelgor, listen to me carefully..."
I was frozen with fear. Of all the rotten things that could happen, there were a bunch of explorers ready to pounce and collect everyone's bounties! I thought about my options.

I could run or hide, since I technically wasn't Nickel's employee and his group was none of my concern, but then I remembered something – my boss was with them! She was in just as much danger as the rest of them. I tried my hardest to fight through my fear, forcing my legs to move. I hurried back to the gang's table, where that Honedge was still yammering on about his past battles.

"We're about to be attacked," I whispered. "There's some Bug-types at another table that want to collect our bounties." Everyone got up, and all was silent for a few moments as they took in what I said.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Nickel shouted, kicking the bag in which Cobalt was carrying him and blowing what little cover we had."I had to work my ass off to give my crew one day off, and now we've got wannabe bounty hunters going after us? I thought this region was supposed to be less chaotic than the Sand Continent!"

"You did organize a bank robbery," Cobalt lazily replied while attempting to keep his balance, the drinks he had getting to him. "An act that brazen attracts a lot of heat. We should've just laid low like Thicket's workers."

"This outing was her idea in the first place!" Nickel snapped back, clearly irritated by both Cobalt and his circumstances.

Thicket squinted at Nickel, her glare filled with judgement. "All I asked of you was to treat your employees more nicely," she clarified. "Taking them to a cheap bar was a decision you made on your own."

Laughter cut through the air like a knife. We all turned to look at the source – the Orbeetle at the other table was cackling at the argument. "This is rich!" He exclaimed mirthfully. "At the rate you're all turning on each other, we won't have to put any work in!" The four bugs rose from their seats and approached us. I took a few steps back, hoping that they wouldn't notice me.

"Lokix and Accelgor, remember the plan," Escavalier stated, raising his arms. "Orbeetle and I will clean out the rest." The other three gave a look of acknowledgement, and they split off into two groups. Lokix targeted Shanks and launched into a kick – it was easily blocked, but it served to draw his aggression to them. Meanwhile, Orbeetle floated behind Escavalier, who charged straight towards Cobalt.

Cobalt raised his tentacle to block a stab from one of Escavalier's lance-arms, but was completely ignorant to the psychic energy building up around Orbeetle. "Someone needs to take out that freak hiding behind them!" Nickel shouted. "The armored one is a distraction!"

Ampere flew up into their air and charged straight into Orbeetle, interrupting his focus! Meanwhile, Cobalt and Dewalt began a two-pronged assault on Escavalier, but they weren't able to find much success – his armor was far too thick for them to break through. Frighteningly, he was able to fend them both off at the same time! In spite of his team's woes, it was clear they were actually competent.

Ampere continued to hound her opponent, all the while Dewalt and Cobalt continued to struggle. Each stab of Escavalier's arm-lances hit them hard, and they weren't strong enough to break through his shell. I saw a couple beams of psychic energy hit him from behind. He turned to look, and saw Dria and Fornix gathering more energy for another assault. He shifted his focus to them and ran them down, while Nickel stared at Escavalier. A sly smile crept up on the Gimmighoul's face – he clearly figured something out, and looking at their opponent, I could see what it was:

Escavalier's back was unarmored. "Hey, dumb and dumber, you two need to use that opening the two brainiacs gave and attack that Escavalier from opposite sides!" Nickel commanded. "Cobalt, hit him from the front! Dewalt, put everything you've got in an attack from behind!"

Cobalt and Dewalt began to execute his order, all the while Escavalier tore into Dria and Fornix, his limbs making quick work of them both. He turned around to see Cobalt in front of him, and moved to stab him – the Clobbopus blocked with his tentacles and fought as defensively as possible, while I saw Dewalt position himself. He brought his claws together and began to spin his entire body like a drill, tearing into his opponent from behind in a perfectly executed Drill Run.

The force of the move was enough to cause Escavalier to fall to the ground in pain, where Cobalt began to pummel his face. "You get what you deserve, you annoying little pest!" The latter yelled out. "If you think you can turn us into pincushions, you're dead wrong!"

As he continued to fulfill his vengence, Cobalt was struck by a wave of energy, flinging him off of his foe and causing him to impact against one of the bar's tables. I looked to see the source, and surprisingly enough, Orbeetle had survived his battle with Ampere, albeit heavily injured. He floated up above Cobalt and Dewalt, knowing the two couldn't strike him from above, and began to charge up more energy for a second attack.

I had no choice but to help, at this point. As much as I wanted to abandon everyone, Thicket would be next in line once those two faltered. I grabbed a Cheri Bomb from my satchel, shook it, and threw it up at Orbeetle. It hit him in the side, and out of curiousity, he grabbed it with telekinesis, examining it. "Are you so poor, you have to resort to throwing Apricorns?" He taunted, referring to the hollowed-out Apricorn in which the actual Cheri Bomb fluid was poured into. "Maybe if this were a Blast Seed, your plan would've actually-"

The Cheri Bomb exploded in Orbeetle's face, sending him crashing down into the floor, parts of the ceiling falling upon him and burying him. With that taken care of, we all drew our attention to what was happening to Shanks.

It proved Dewalt's theory right. Numerous illusory versions of Accelgor attacked Shanks from almost every conceivable angle, the Slowbro trying to block and stab at them with his shell. Meanwhile, Lokix struck in places Shanks wasn't guarding, whittling him down bit by bit. A final kick sent Shanks to the ground, and the two remaining explorers looked at us. We were in a pretty bad position – only Dewalt, Cobalt, and myself were capable of fighting, and the first two were badly injured. "Don't give up now!" Nickel shouted. "We've still got a shot! Cobalt, survive for as long as you can against that Lokix! Dewalt, you need to tear him down, and as for Thicket's little runt..."

Nickel looked at me with disapproval. "Quit thinking about running and bomb that Accelgor with everything you've got," he ordered. "One of those explosives is bound to hit him!"

I nodded with some reluctance and withdrew another Cheri Bomb from my bag. I took a close look at the illusory Accelgor running amok, and saw one of them doing something atypical. Instead of attacking with flashy moves or taunting those around them, they held a projectile made of water at the end of their arm, attempting to aim it straight at Dewalt. It began to form into the distinctive shape of a four-pointed star – from that irregular behavior, I knew that one was the real deal.

I gave the bomb in my paw a good shake and threw it over the heads of the other combatants, it landing at Accelgor's side. Hearing the sound of it landing, he picked it up, examined it, and threw it away. It landed right by the bar's front door and exploded, leaving another gaping hole in its infrastructure. He examined Dewalt and Cobalt for a few moments, shook his head, then approached me so fast, I barely had time to react!

He threw more of those strange, watery stars at me, and it took every bit of skill I had to dodge them! Once his initial salvo was finished, he looked down upon me. It gave me the creeps!

"The strange, explosive Apricorns you wield are clearly more potent than Blast Seeds," Accelgor stated. "I don't know how you acquired them, but they make you far too dangerous to ignore. I'll make this quick." He began to move at a blindingly fast speed, battering me from all angles! I knew it was over for me. I was going to be locked up for life, and it's all because of that deal Thicket made! I closed my eyes and prepared for the sweet embrace of unconsciousness...

Then, I heard the sound of wood breaking! I opened my eyes and saw that numerous vines had sprouted from underneath the floorboards, holding Accelgor in place! "I can't hold him for long, give him everything you got!" I heard Thicket shout from underneath a table, her hand finally having been forced.

I slapped myself to get the fear out of my system and lept back, throwing two Cheri Bombs at Accelgor, one after another. I could see the panic in his eyes as he desperately struggled against my boss's restraints before he was consumed by the explosives a few seconds later. When the air cleared, I saw just what sort of damage they could do – he was heavily charred and twitching inside of the burnt remnants of his bindings, his eyes looking unfocused.

Thicket came out from under the table and looked me over. "Makau, are you alright?" She asked.

"Well, I'm not dead," I replied. "Why didn't you help us out earlier?"

"I needed to remain unnoticed," she informed me. "If I had attacked him before he dedicated his focus to you, he would've targeted me as soon as he broke free. How many bombs do you have left?"

I checked my satchel, and to my disappointment, there weren't too many left. "There's only three more," I told her. "Shouldn't you be trying to heal what's left of Nickel's crew? I know you told me you can do that, once."

Thicket nodded. "You're right. I'll try to get close enough to do that. Try to blow up the last one, will you?" She asked. With reluctance, I scurried over to the part of the bar where Dewalt and Cobalt were fending off Lokix. Things were looking pretty bad.

Dewalt was knocked out entirely, meanwhile Cobalt was forced on the defensive, blocking Lokix's powerful kicks with his tentacles. He looked badly beaten, but it didn't stop Nickel from yelling at him. "Quit being a baby and strike him where it hurts!" The Gimmighoul yelled. "You don't have enough strength left in you to stall him out!"
Lokix kicked Cobalt again, forcing him to the ground. He grabbed Nickel and glared straight into his eyes, seemingly enraged by his behavior. "Is this how you treat your subordinates?" Lokix asked, anger rising in his voice. "You should be ashamed of yourself! Perhaps if you supported them instead of shouting at them, I wouldn't have captured you."

I didn't disagree with him in the slightest, but I still had a duty to perform. As Nickel struggled to free himself from Lokix's grasp, I threw a Cheri Bomb at them. Without even looking at it, they kicked it away, its explosion forming yet another hole in the bar. Dropping my boss's business partner down, Lokix lept up in the air and launched themselves towards me!

I couldn't react in time – a perfectly executed Axe Kick knocked the wind out of me, rendering me helpless. "I can see the fear in your eyes," Lokix observed. "You have a lot of courage to stand up for your compatriots in spite of your frailty. I can only hope your time in prison will reform you into a better man. Bravery such as yours shouldn't be wasted on scum like them."

I couldn't reply. I silently begged for Thicket to think of a way to bail me out, but before she could try anything, I heard the sound of metal scraping against something...

The Duel

This was quite the intriguing turn of events! The outlaws who were supplying me with free drinks were now the target of a group of mercenaries! Sure, they called themselves "explorers" in this era, but I was never one to sugarcoat things. As the gang abandoned their posts, I swooped in and grabbed them like a scavenging Mandibuzz and began to stick my cloth in them, one after another. Said part of my anatomy was perfectly suited for absorbing spirits of both Pokemon and the alcoholic sort! Watching the battle unfold, I gleaned some very interesting tidbits of information.

Firstly, the savage, churlish Slowbro, who in most circumstances would've won, was thoroughly outfoxed by the Accelgor and Lokix working in unison! The latter was the true threat, but through clever use of Double Team, the former diverted their enemy's attention! "Shanks" was too brainless to realize that Lokix was who he should target, and thus, he was defeated. The display was so shameful, I silently thanked Arceus for giving me an erudite mind!

The rest of the Gimmighoul's companions were out-muscled, but through his tactical acumen, he secured victory against the Escavalier and had the Orbeetle distracted for long enough that he could be dealt with separately. The Rattata's odd explosives cleared two more of their number, but seeing him falter against that Lokix awakened a bizarre sensation within me!

The way these brigands fought was quite inspiring! They reminded me of the best bands of adventurers, mercenaries, and criminals I've served under – the latent talent on the battlefield they displayed was rare, and it would be a waste for them all to rot in jail! Unsheathing myself, I floated over to the Rattata's side, my single eye tracking Lokix. "Unhand these outlaws at once!" I yelled out, pointing the tip of my blade towards them.

"Another one?" Lokix asked. "Do you really want to die on this hill?"

"I won't make such absurd preparations!" I replied, swinging my blade towards them. They dodged, just as expected, and so I bashed their face in with the sheath that my cloth held instead. They stumbled back due to the force of the blow, allowing me to follow up with several more cuts! As they recovered, they kicked at me in order to force me to distance myself, but instead, I used my sheath to block again and follow up with an attempted counter. Lokix jumped back as the sheath was swung at him, erring on the side of caution!

"What kind of weird fighting style is that?" Lokix asked, looking towards their back. "I didn't want to use my full strength against you, but I don't have much of a choice." The extra set of legs on their back unfolded, which boded poorly for me – I knew they held a preposterous, terrifying amount of power! However, this maneuver held a singular, glaring weakness. It was incredibly taxing, and it couldn't be used for long. In mere survival, I would find victory!

Lokix sprinted towards me and attempted to hit me with a lightning-fast kick! I raised my sheath up to absorb the force of the blow, but it was not enough – it collided into me and sent me flying back so far, I got embedded into one of the bar's walls! Pulling myself out, I began to think of a new avenue of defense, seeing as my usual tactics did not suffice. As Lokix closed the distance, I had trouble thinking of a plan, but just as he finished his approach, an idea illuminated the stygian depths of my mind!

If I could not use defense, then he could be overwhelmed with offense! There was technique that fit the situation perfectly! My shadow contorted and split into multiple parts, rising off the ground and joining me by my side. The apparitions sharpened themselves into numerous Shadow Claws, and began to attack Lokix from all angles! This was a technique capable of dispatching entire groups – there was no way a single Pokemon could endure it!

The claws swarmed upon the fiend like a school of starving Carvanha, cutting into him so much that he bore resemblance to my old commander Felicity's scratching post! I remembered the days when that Purrloin would take out her anger on that piece of equipment, but that was besides the point! Bug Pokemon were hard to read on account of their alien features, but the desperation Lokix felt radiated so strongly, it almost felt tangible! He threw a Blast Seed at me in a bid to knock me out, but my Shadow Claws caught it with ease!

"Did you really think mere explosives could vanquish me?" I taunted. "You lost the moment you decided to oppose me!" Lokix began to laugh at me. "Laugh all you want, knave, you-" I stopped speaking for a moment, realizing something far too late.

I was not the one he was aiming for! He knew I'd use my claws as a buffer between the two of us! The Blast Seed they held exploded, destroying every last one of them! Dark energy surrounded Lokix's legs as he attacked with another kick – I rose my sheath to block it, but it was merely a feint! He landed a deadly Sucker Punch on me, causing a small part of me to crack! He was my junior by centuries, but he had a sharper mind than I had anticipated!

I wasn't willing to test whether his supplies of Blast Seeds or my Shadow Claws would run out first, and I knew this fight had to end fast. The one hit he landed on me wasn't even with his legs, and it hurt terribly! I thought back to my younger days, quickly skimming through my bag of tricks as one would an encyclopedia. Within those memories, I found my answers again!

I manifested Shadow Claws not from my own shadow, but from my enemy's! He was ignorant to their presence as he analyzed my movements. I commanded the claws I conjured to wrap themselves around Lokix, restraining him. As I floated up to him, the energy needed for my ultimate technique built up around my blade. I loathed using it against most opponents, but for the sake of the criminals I was defending, it was most necessary! Failure was not an option.

I finished charging my move and proceeded to stab Lokix with a Sacred Sword, hoping to end the battle in one swift motion! To my surprise, however, he broke free from his restraints, my blade entering his left shoulder instead of his chest! Pulling myself out of his body, I backed up and raised my sheath to block once again. Lokix groaned and then steeled himself, his anxiety replaced by determination!

"I'm not going to give in," he told me. "I won't perish to criminal as vicious as you!"

"Vicious?" I asked. "I'm not the one who started this battle, you ignorant fool! You can't even hit me with those legs of yours, so how do you expect to vanquish me?"

Lokix began to shake, although I was unable to tell if it was from fatigue or anger. "Don't mock me!" He snapped back, soaring through through the air in an attempt to hit me again. My provocations had caused him to lose his head – this attack was painfully telegraphed, and countering it was as simple as slamming my sheath into his body in my own version of Iron Head. The force of the attack was enough to not only cause his chitin to crack, but it knocked him down as well! Using this opportunity, I bashed him a few more times. Some would call it inelegant, un-knightly, or unfair, but I cared none! All is fair in battle! He only narrowly managed to skitter away from my wrath, and as soon as he stood, I could see how strained he had become.

He was tired from using his extra pair of legs, his left arm didn't function, and there were cracks and cuts all across his carapace. "Surrender now!" I commanded, pointing my blade towards them. "You are too woefully inadequate of a fighter to subdue a warrior of my caliber!" The truth was that his kicks could've caused me to snap in two, but he did not need to know that. A battle is just as much a test of mind and wits as it was of brawn!

"I can still use Showdown Mode for a couple minutes more," Lokix replied. "That's more than enough time to beat you." A pinkish glow began to surround him. This was typically a sign of Psychic or Fairy-type moves, but there were no initial clues to the technique he was using. I entered a defensive posture with my sheath in front of my body as a precaution. Lokix bounded towards me with blinding speed, the technique he was using most likely having been Agility, and drew close to me. I guarded myself, but to my surprise, he jumped behind me and kicked me from behind!

It caused an agonizing wave of pain to rush through my body, but I stood my ground. There was one more technique I could think of; one that would punish him for his increased aggression. He jumped behind me again, but instead of turning around, I swung with my eye facing away from him, hitting him with a solid Aerial Ace! I heard Lokix struggling to breathe, and orienting my eye towards him, I could see why.

He had to quit using his extra legs, and I cut him square across the chest. Not only was he badly wounded, but he was exhausted as well! He attempted to continue standing up, a fire burning in his eyes, but the gesture was futile – he fell on the ground, having no more energy to fight.

I floated towards the downed gangsters, aiming to examine them for signs of injury, but I was stopped by an odd feeling pervading my being. Some of the cracks in my blade were mended – one of the Pokemon I defended possessed a healing technique, and judging by the ones I could not account for, the Floette was the likely culprit. Sure enough, she and that Gimmighoul crawled out from under the tables and approached me.

"Hey, old man!" The Gimmighoul shouted, trying to get my attention. "Just because you saved us doesn't mean you get off scot free for stealing all our drinks!"

"Nickel, this isn't the time to be picking fights!" The Floette interrupted, looking worried. "We don't exactly have anyone left who can defend us!"
"Why would I seek to harm the two of you?" I asked. "I came to the defense of your compatriots, and in fact, I wish to join your group!"

"W-wait, what?" The Gimmighoul – Nickel, apparently, stuttered out in confusion. "I need a reason from you first. I don't want another Shanks thinking he's the king of the castle, just because he's tougher than everyone else. I am not repeating that mistake again, especially with some dude named Carol!"

"It's Caerwyn," I corrected him. "I do not hold any ulterior motives or ill intent toward your lot. I watched you on the battlefield, and even though you've only lived for a fraction of the time I have, you're clearly a tactician almost as good as myself. I intervened because it would've been a waste for all of you to be arrested, and I wish to impart my knowledge upon future generations."

Nickel stood there, deep in thought for a couple of minutes. Soon, the silence was broken. "Alright, you're in," he told me. "Just don't be a mooch like you were tonight, and you'll be okay with me."

"I understand," I replied, thinking upon my past and present myself. As Nickel gathered his men and we left, I thought about my past. In my first lifetime, I was a hero, but all of my comrades were claimed by battle and age. I turned to villainry in despair, but history repeated itself. From then on, I always joined the groups that interested me the most, regardless of concepts such as morality, and I could tell that this gang was a good choice for my future ventures! In fact, if Nickel evolved, I might even acquire a friend who would be as long-lived as myself! After all, Gholdengo are both Ghost-type and inorganic, just like myself.