>CHAPTER 3
The Ruins
Alphonse crept throughout the hall of the old police station. Making as little noise as possible, each footstep was as calculated as the next. The floor and walls were cold. They were much colder than they were when he initially entered the building. He felt as if something was crawling down his back, but he knew in the moment it was all nerves. As he continued further down the hall, his anxiety and doubt faded out to make way for a new emotion. Well, not new, just out of commission until now.
Alphonse paused. He could hear a gentle snore from the room next door. Peaking the door open without so much as a creak, he peered into the side room. There was Chad the Lycanroc, whom he had presumed to be the town warden. Chad was fast asleep, which felt strange to Alphonse after seeing how much Chad had been primed up moments before. Just moments ago, this Pokemon was ready to attack him, and now it lay completely defenseless and oblivious to the current plot.
Alphonse then found his thoughts drawn back to Lazlo. What was the deal with Lazlo? It seemed like everyone in town knew who he was. Better yet, they all respected him deeply. What could the old gentleman have done to garner such admiration from these simple townsfolk? It seemed genuine as well. Nobody seemed to be pretending or being hard-pressed to appear nice to the two of them.
"And they hardly even knew who I was, yet they seemed to trust me," Alphonse found himself thinking. "The Pokemon of this land—they're totally unlike anyone I was around growing up."
Alphonse growled internally, cutting his sentimentality short.
"They have no idea what other Pokemon are capable of, especially unknown ones like me."
Alphonse returned from his thoughts and surveyed the room. In the other corner, away from the sleeping Lycanroc, was an assortment of keys, all on a ring.
"Bingo!" Alphonse cheered to himself. Without delay, he snuck over to the keyring and left the room as quickly as he had entered.
The next step was to unlock the evidence room. With a careful pace, Alphonse tried each key on the keyring until the locked door came open. There, he saw the cache, along with some of the supplies he had packed prior. The evidence room was totally empty, hardly showing signs of use, aside from the supply cache, of course. It seemed like crime was rarely a problem in the small town of Arcade. But whatever guilt Alphonse had over disrupting that peace had already left him.
Alphonse jogged back into the room that contained Bethel. After giving a light knock on the door, he swung it open with great force. His eyes met Bethel's once again.
"Give me a moment to find the right key; I'll get you out of there." Alphonse promised.
"You don't waste any time, I see. Good." Bethel chided.
The lock clicked again, signifying success, as the jail cell door opened after.
Bethel strolled out of her cell, doing a few quick stretches in the process. After her routine, she turned her attention back to Alphonse.
"Did you get the supplies back?" she questioned.
Alphonse gave a quick nod in return.
"Excellent. Meet me out back. We'll split the load and head out to the rendezvous point," Bethel said with a sly grin.
Bethel then strolled out of the room, albeit at a faster pace than Alphonse expected. It was amazing how casual she was about the whole thing, yet collected. She had definitely been through this song and dance before.
Alphonse followed out of the room when suddenly he faced a realization: Lazlo was still waiting for him. He'd have to come up with some sort of explanation as to where he was going. But Alphonse knew he couldn't tell the truth to the old Pokemon. He wouldn't understand.
Alphonse went down his detour to the entrance of the building, going back outside and finding Lazlo leaning sleepily against the wall.
"All good, kid?" Lazlo called. His body showed no signs of acknowledging that Alphonse was there, yet he was aware.
"Uhm, yeah, all good," Alphonse stated sheepishly.
Lazlo began to rise from his leaning position, showing signs of being ready to head back to the inn.
"Can't wait t' hear this story, Al. But it can wait 'til morning; I'm beat."
Alphonse looked up at the sky. It was a symphony of dark blues, oranges, and purples as the sun set over the horizon. He had hardly realized that the day had flown by yet again. After his brief mesmerization with the beauty of the skyline, he spoke back to Lazlo.
"Yeah, I'll meet you there. I'm going to take a stroll and gather my thoughts."
Lazlo smiled innocently, his eyes still closed.
"Take your time. I'll make sure Lou knows you're coming back late."
Lazlo then departed in the direction of the inn, showing not the slightest hint of doubt in Alphonse's statement.
Once the coast was clear, Alphonse jetted around towards the back of the building. There he found Bethel again, standing aside a mountain of loot. The cache was much bigger than it had been before.
"Took you long enough. I helped myself to some extras while I was waiting for you," Bethel reprimanded.
"What is all this?" Alphonse wondered aloud.
"The result of a bunch of country bumpkins having one keyring for everything," Bethel remarked snidely.
"Here, we'll each take half. I hope you have the endurance for this trip; it's quite a way away, and I don't intend on leaving any loot behind."
Alphonse spared no time for questioning. He obliged with Bethel's request, grabbing half of the cache of loot and putting as much of it as he could in his bag. The rest of the loot was divided among two larger bags that he would have to slog back to the rendezvous point. By contrast, Bethel carried several lighter bags with ease.
"This doesn't seem like half," Alphonse growled.
Bethel was quick with a response to shut him up.
"It is. Your half is just heavier, is all."
Alphonse, taken aback by her quick wit yet again, made no further fuss. The two grabbed all of their loot and began strolling through the alleyways and side paths of the town to avoid any run-ins with the villagers. They approached the tunnel Bethel had mentioned and climbed on in. Bethel lit a dim flame with her breath to give them a guiding light in the dark, dank tunnel. About 10 minutes passed before they began to surface from the depths below.
Before Alphonse knew it, they were out of Arcade and back in the wilderness. Things were starting to get dark as the sun had almost totally receded beyond the land below. The two wandered through the dimly lit plains together without so much as a word. A stark contrast to the conversations that were had back in the cave on the night of the storm. It had felt like an eternity since then to Alphonse. So much had happened in so little time, and it seemed like the excitement showed no signs of letting up any time soon.
Neither Pokemon complained about the heavy baggage they carried. Alphonse's body began to disagree with his actions, starting to wear down. Bethel, however, continued the brisk pace she had initially set out on, having a good lead over Alphonse. But just as Alphonse began to slow from a walk to a crawl, Bethel spoke up.
"There. See that light in the distance?" Bethel extended a paw towards a distant flicker.
"That's the rest of the crew. Not much longer, now." Bethel reassured.
"How do you know? It could be another group of traveling Pokemon. Or even worse, a trap," Alphonse spoke with concern.
Bethel laughed at the thought.
"No Pokemon out here would be wise enough to travel out this way, especially this late at night."
She showed no concern whatsoever, not for the light ahead nor for the rapidly exhausting Alphonse.
As the light grew brighter and brighter, Alphonse grew more and more exhausted. The endurance run was getting the best of him. It wasn't as bad or as long as the journey he had undergone to Arcade during the storm, but the extra baggage definitely did him no favors. And neither did Bethel's rapid pacing ahead of him.
Just when he felt he was about to collapse, Bethel stopped in her tracks. The light, which appeared to be a torch of some sort, was now a stone's toss away, and three shadowy figures gradually came closer.
Alphonse felt himself becoming a bit uneasy, unsure what to expect next. But Bethel remained calm. A wicked laughter grew louder as the shadowy figures lurched closer.
"Well, well. You've certainly outdone yourself this time, Beth," a grizzly voice called out from the dark.
"Hear, hear. We'll be set until the end of summer, judging from your filled bags there," another voice cackled.
"Hold on, she's not alone," a third, higher-pitched voice called out.
The torchlight went out, making the surroundings almost pitch black. Alphonse began to breathe heavily and readied himself into a defensive stance.
The three voices laughed in unison. The laughter was howling and malicious. These Pokemon were certainly up to no good. Yet a part of Alphonse felt right at home with them.
"Don't worry, he's cool," Bethel's voice reassured. "He helped me break out of Arcade."
The laughter doubled in ferocity.
"Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Needing help to break out of jail now?" the cackling voice teased.
"Stick it in your ear," Bethel replied playfully.
"Hey, the poor sap saved us a trip to that hick town. We should be thankful!" the higher-pitched voice cried.
"Oh, please. None of you would've shown up anyway," Bethel laughed back.
The taller, shadowy figure held up what appeared to be a finger. Everyone fell silent. Alphonse began shaking like a leaf at the sight of the intimidating presence.
"Hush. Our friend Bethel here has done us proud. There's no joking there." The gruff voice spoke in a low growl.
Alphonse could hold his tongue no longer.
"Who are you all?" he cried out.
An uncomfortable silence rolled across the land. Not even the evening cries of bug-type Pokemon rang out any more. After a short while, the larger figure danced around a bit, rummaging for something. And in an instant, the torchlight from before went back on.
Alphonse found himself surrounded by three imposing Pokemon and Bethel, who was no longer at his side but now facing him from afar. His eyes rapidly darted back and forth, observing the Pokemon that were before him.
On the left was an almost jelly-like Pokemon. Alphonse hadn't seen them much before, but he recognized their species—they were a Reuniclus, giggling in that high-pitched voice from before.
To the right was a more slender, female-figured Pokemon. Alphonse had seen their kind before as well, albeit not too often. She was a Mismagius, cackling with amusement at the sight of Alphonse.
The biggest figure was almost completely unknown to Alphonse. He had seen big Pokemon like this all the time back home on the Dark Continent, but knew to stay away from them. This one was bear-like in appearance, with dark black and pale white fur. They were completely silent, unlike their compatriots.
"What's your name?" The bear-like Pokemon spoke. There was no warmth in their voice to be found. It was not a matter of a friendly greeting, but a demand.
"Alphonse," Al choked out meekly.
The big bear Pokemon turned away from Alphonse, now directing his attention towards Bethel.
"And you thought it was a good idea to bring this one along?" he said to Bethel.
Bethel grinned.
"He's more than meets the eye, that's for sure."
The Reuniclus and Mismagius laughed at Bethel's comment. Alphonse felt anger well up inside him.
"So, are we going to stand here all night and giggle, or are we going to get on with it?" Alphonse yelled. His left hand began to rise up to cover his mouth after his outburst, but his right hand held it down.
Another hush fell throughout the area. Reuniclus and Mismagius were smiling slyly, as if to approve of Alphonse's comment. The giant bear-like Pokemon nodded and motioned towards the other two. They began taking the bags from Alphonse.
The Reuniclus was holding the heaviest load now. He growled.
"Y'know, for a Pangoro of your stature, you could easily carry all of this and then some."
The bear-like Pokemon, now known to Alphonse as a Pangoro, bared his teeth at the Reuniclus. The Reuniclus quickly shut up. Bethel and the Mismagius tried to hold in their laughter at the sight of it.
Bethel looked over at Alphonse, who had now been in better shape after being liberated from his heavy load of bags.
"We're not much farther from home base, now," she assured Alphonse.
With that note, the four Pokemon set back off into the night, the torchlight guiding their way. Alphonse summoned his will back and followed them.
The walk back to the thieves' base was an uneasy one for Alphonse. There was very little talking, aside from the whisperings between Bethel, the Mismagius, and the Reuniclus. The Pangoro was completely silent. Alphonse, partly out of fear for his own life, followed suit in silence. Albeit thankful for the lightened load, Alphonse was quite exhausted. He knew any complaining would do no good for him, so he kept moving without a peep. The land gradually turned from plains to rolling hills. Alphonse could just barely make out mountains touching the sky beyond. As the ground became harder and hillier, Alphonse took note of various ruined buildings and structures, remnants of a bygone age. They had collected plenty of moss and vines after an unknown number of years since their last use.
Suddenly, the group stopped in their tracks as the Pangoro ceased to walk. After extinguishing the torchlight, he rummaged around on the ground, feeling for something. After a moment of searching, Alphonse heard the click of a mechanism and saw the ground open up in front of him. The other Pokemon began to descend down the new opening as Bethel motioned for Alphonse to come along.
The group were now in an underground labyrinth, which Alphonse presumed was their hideout. Unloading their baggage into side rooms and shelves as they walked throughout the labyrinthine halls under the ground, a few words were exchanged. After the loot was all stored away, the Pokemon sans Bethel and Alphonse all continued down a central tunnel. Bethel took Alphonse aside for a moment to bring him up to speed.
"We're going into the living quarters now. Don't touch anything, don't mess around, and only speak when told. Understand?" She said it sternly.
"Understood," Alphonse returned.
Bethel smiled, taking Alphonse's hand and leading him down the central hall.
They now stood in the living quarters, alongside Reuniclus, Mismagius, and Pangoro. The living hall was a bit cluttered, with the floor containing various half-eaten berries, pieces of valuable materials, and other various goodies strewn about. Fancy furniture, seemingly stolen, seemed out of place in such a messy room. There were five side rooms jutting out from the main sanctum, which Alphonse figured were the private quarters of each of the thieves. At the center of the room was a roaring fire and a stump, which served as a podium of sorts. The Pangoro stood behind the stump, surveying the room below. The Mismagius sprawled lazily on a fancy couch surrounded by papers, maps, and various artisan goods, and the Reuniclus was sitting in a corner, tinkering with various strange gadgets and artifacts. Bethel stood by Alphonse's side as he took in his surroundings.
The Pangoro cleared his throat, and everyone shifted their attention to him, including Alphonse. Bethel began a casual sway up to the podium. As she did, the Pangoro opened his mouth.
"Welcome to our home, Al," the Pangoro said with a crooked smile.
Bethel was now standing next to the Pangoro. She was certainly an oppressive force, but she looked like a newborn Pokemon next to the massive Pangoro. She spoke next.
"Everyone, I'd like to be the first to introduce you to our newest member. You already know them as Alphonse." She sang triumphantly.
"Alphonse is just like us, but he needs some time to admit it. I ask that you all show him your upmost hospitality as he eases into his role here." Bethel continued to speak, standing tall and proud. Alphonse grew pale.
"Now, in order to help our new friend feel at home, why don't we start with everyone's favorite get-to-know-you exercises?" Bethel chanted slyly.
Her request was met with hissing and booing from the Reuniclus and the Mismagius. But Pangoro raised one finger up, as if to say, "do as she says." The booing and hissing ceased immediately. After an awkward silence, the Reuniclus was the first to pipe up.
"Welcome aboard, Al!" The Reuniclus's tone was playful but obviously sarcastic.
"My name is Gatsby, and I am at your service. But you will call me Gattz." Gattz closed his eyes and performed an exaggerated bow. The Pangoro picked up a random piece of garbage on the floor and chucked it aggressively at Gattz. Gattz let out a yipe and sat back down.
Next up was the Mismagius. She rose from her lounging position, standing elegantly with the grace of a dancer. From her refined posture, it was hard to believe she could ever be malicious.
"Charmed, Al. They call me Ephie. It's a pleasure to have a new face around here, and a cute one at that," Ephie smiled. Alphonse saw Gattz roll his eyes.
"Is Ephie short for something else?" Alphonse asked curiously.
Ephie's smile turned to a frown. But before she could respond, Bethel spoke up again.
"Alphonse, I believe I told you to only speak when given permission. Is that correct?" Bethel reprimanded. Alphonse awkwardly nodded and straightened up, making sure not to anger anyone any further.
And finally came the Pangoro.
"My name's Del," he said. After a brief pause, Del smirked and, in a mocking tone, and added on.
"Short for Delmetrius."
Everyone, except Alphonse, gave a heartfelt laugh.
"And as you know already, I'm Bethel. Not too long ago, I was the newest member of this band here, but don't let that get to your head," Bethel smirked devilishly.
"We all have a special role to play here. Gattz is our brain. He works on the planning and logistics of this place and also figures out how to best use whatever we steal. Ephie is our intelligence; she keeps an eye on things not only on the surface but scopes things out on our marks."
Bethel paused.
"That means our targets, if you didn't already know."
"And last is Del. He's a man of actions rather than words, and he is our muscle. He's the closest thing we have to a leader here, and if anything, that's only to keep Gattz in check."
Gattz began to hiss at Bethel but stopped short so as to avoid the wrath of Del.
"You've had a long day. You've earned yourself some time to rest. We have a spare room for you, but Ephie still has to clean it up before you can unwind. So you'll bunk tonight with me."
Ephie growled.
"Gattz drew the short straw, so he's on cleanup duty for this week. Plus, it's mostly filled with his gadgets anyway."
Gattz once again began to object, but caught himself in the nick of time.
"Del, I'll leave the honors to you, and then we can all get to bed." Bethel looked up at Del. Del nodded back.
Bethel then rapidly turned her head, shooting a piercing gaze over at Alphonse, as if she could peer into his soul.
"Alphonse." Del's voice boomed.
Alphonse perked up, directing his attention back at Del.
"You will now be bound by the thieves code of honor. Listen carefully, as I will not repeat myself." Del rumbled.
"First, 'honor among thieves'. You will never steal from another member of our band. Is that clear?"
Alphonse looked to Bethel, unsure if he should respond. Bethel nodded back to imply, "Yes.".
Alphonse spoke meekly, "Yes."
"Second, 'no low hanging fruit'. We will never steal from those deemed too weak to defend themselves, such as children."
Alphonse gave another yes.
"Third and final, 'punish the wicked'. It is favorable to steal from those corrupted with greed, for there is no wrongdoing to be found." Del pounded the podium with one fist, reverberating a hard slam throughout the room.
Alphonse finished with a yes, still shaken by Del's gesture.
Del looked down at Alphonse once more, content with his answers.
"Dismissed," Del said as he walked down the podium towards his quarters.
Bethel stepped back up.
"You heard the boss. Now, we've got big things ahead of us. Don't stay up too late; we need to be in tip-top shape for the coming days."
Afterwards, she stepped back down and called over for Alphonse to follow her. Alphonse followed obediently. After making one last series of eye contacts with Ephie and Gattz, Alphonse followed Bethel into her quarters.
"He'll be fun to have around," chuckled Ephie through the wall.
"Yeah, having another mouth to feed will be a real jamboree," Gattz groaned.
"Let's just hope he lasts a bit longer than the last few recruits," Ephie cackled.
Alphonse shut the door behind him and began to take in his surroundings. Bethel's room was not at all what he expected. For starters, it was much cleaner than any other room he had seen in this thieves den. Everything was carefully organized on the shelves, and there was not a speck of dust to be found. Most of the room was filled with her spoils, luxury berries, artisan goods, piles of Poke, and various glittering gems. There was a curtain hiding a small side room as well. Alphonse figured he valued his life, so he wouldn't try to figure out what was behind the curtain.
Bethel, sensing Alphonse was done looking around, spoke once again.
"Aside from that slip-up at the beginning with Ephie, you did pretty well. We got a laugh out of it, at least," she teased.
Alphonse stared blankly at Bethel.
"You can talk again, Al," Bethel assured. "In this room, at least. And the other rules still apply."
Alphonse exhaled, trying to find the words after that strange ordeal. His head was racing, and he had no idea where to start. Ever since his reunion with Bethel, he felt like his world had been turned upside down again.
"Why" was the first word that came out of Alphonse's mouth.
"Why, what?" Bethel shot back.
"Why did you take me here? Why do you keep... helping me?" Alphonse wondered.
Bethel scoffed.
"You don't listen very well, do you?" she groaned.
"I already told you. Because you're strong."
Alphonse returned a puzzled look. Bethel began to elaborate further.
"I don't know your backstory. Heck, you don't even know all of mine. But I can tell we're pretty similar in spirit. And you've done an okay job keeping your wits about you."
"The average bumpkin from that hick town would've given up by now. But you're still in one piece, at least on the outside."
"And not to brag, but I'm a pretty good judge of character. I figured you were just dealt a bad hand by that storm. I'm sure you've been living mostly on your own up until now. Fighting the elements to stay alive. I can see I was correct. You certainly can handle yourself."
Alphonse began to say thanks but instead remained silent, letting Bethel finish.
"Not every Pokemon is raised with a silver spoon in their mouth. Our band here, and you, are proof of that. We have to take what we can; otherwise, we'd have nothing."
"There's no big world tree we can all line up for handouts of fruit and berries at. The Pokemon out there already know it. Most of them steal, fight, and do whatever they can to survive."
"And then there's the 'lucky losers'. They don't know how good they have it; their greed is blocking them from seeing how painful reality really is. They keep themselves up by keeping Pokemon like us down. They need us to be their villains to fulfill their own egos."
Bethel's tone became increasingly hostile.
"The way I see it, you're either a fighter or a fool. If you're a fighter, you take what you can. You forge your own path, and you don't feel afraid to live life as you're supposed to. By taking what you can get, just to stay alive."
Her voice became shaky, along with her entire body.
"Otherwise, you're a fool. A pathetic excuse for a Pokemon, taking everything for granted in your miserable life, only helping others out to satisfy your own ego. You're as fake as you can get. Sure, you pretend to be good and wholesome to help others out, but in reality, you're just hiding your true nature behind layers and layers of deceit."
She focused her gaze directly on Alphonse.
"THEY are the bad Pokemon. Not us. THEY'RE the ones who leave us behind, leaving us to rot..."
Bethel was fully vibrating with rage at this point. Her gaze had trailed off from Alphonse, and she began to chant something under her breath.
Alphonse, not knowing what to do, involuntarily put his hand on Bethel's shoulder. Bethel slowly eased out of her trance, her attention drawn back to Alphonse.
"What are you doing?" Bethel asked abruptly.
Alphonse stared back, stunned by his sudden action. He slowly withdrew himself back.
"Uh, I don't know," Alphonse replied hazily.
"Well, stop it." Bethel had left behind her rage, returning to her cruel and cold persona.
"Sorry..." Alphonse mumbled coyly.
A tenseness shook the room. Bethel walked over to her straw bed and flung parts of it over to Alphonse.
"Here. You can sleep in that corner," Bethel said, pointing.
"We need to be up bright and early tomorrow. Get your rest now," she commanded.
After sharing pieces from her bed, she curled up into a ball and shut her eyes.
Alphonse gathered the remaining pieces of hay and assembled a makeshift bed to lie on. Curling up into a similar position, he began to shut his eyes and prepare to rest. But rest did not come immediately.
"Am I doing the right thing?" Alphonse wondered.
There were many questions racing through his mind, but this one stood out the most of any of them.
There was something especially odd about the question. Every question ping-ponging in his head was clearly in his inflection. But there was something different about this one. It's almost like he wasn't asking himself, but someone was asking him instead.
"Am I doing the right thing?"
It kept ringing through Alphonse's head. It rang until it was the only thought left. With it being the sole focus, he could listen a bit more carefully. Again, the voice was not his. It sounded like a totally different voice. The tone, the inflection—it reminded him of someone.
He tried to think further. He tried to get his mind into other places. But he could not. The question kept ringing in his mind, burning itself into his brain.
The voice... was familiar yet foreign. He felt as if he had known it for a lifetime, but it still seemed so unknown to him. And finally, he was able to give a name to the voice. It sounded like Lazlo.
Lazlo. Alphonse remembered. He had left Lazlo behind in the commotion. Alphonse had not thought far enough ahead to come to that conclusion sooner. Lazlo would find out he had never returned to the inn and begin looking for him. Then another voice rang through his head.
"And don't think about sneaking out. Cus I'll find ya."
Those were Lazlo's words. He had never settled his score with Lazlo, Alphonse realized. Lazlo would certainly come looking for him. The old Pokemon was definitely more than they let on; that was clear in the time he spent with them. He had no idea what Lazlo was capable of. He felt a great fear surge throughout him. Would Lazlo try to hurt him? Lazlo didn't seem like he was much of a fighter, but again, he didn't know for sure.
"But what would Lazlo do if he found out I was helping outlaws?" Alphonse wondered.
He shuddered at the thought and quickly ceased traveling down that path. It was a very real possibility that Lazlo would confront him in the near future. He had to be ready for it. He had already chosen his fate; now there was nothing left to do but prepare for the future.
Alphonse then found his thoughts going black. He was slipping into slumber, although it was not restful. His thoughts became warped and muddied, as if they were static. Letting his body go, he began to drift off.
Alphonse found himself washed up on a shore, surrounded by water. In a panic, he brushed himself off, trying to take in his surroundings. Where was he? Last time he checked, he was in the thieves den with Bethel. Where did he end up now? But the question rapidly became unimportant to him. He was more concerned with where he was than how he got there. Looking around, he saw a pile of driftwood. Walking closer to inspect it, he rummaged through the pile, soon discovering they were ruins. It was his house. There was nothing left but a bunch of drenched and warped boards. Nothing except a black cloth. Almost automatically, he picked up the cloth and fastened it around himself.
His attention changed to the sea. A wall of clouds lied beyond it. Still moving on his own, he found himself walking back towards the shoreline.
"Where... am I?" he wondered.
The water rose from his ankles to his waist, until it was up towards his neck. But he was still walking. Gradually, he lifted his legs and began to swim. Before he knew it, he was swimming through the clouds that had previously blocked his vision. He paddled faster and faster, not feeling weighed down whatsoever. The water surrounded him fully, but he was not afraid. He continued to let the water flow along with him, the blue hues covering all of his yellow body.
Suddenly, his swim was blocked as he ran into a vessel. It appeared to be a ship of some sort, hastily made but also sturdy. Climbing aboard the ship, he came face-to-face with another Pokemon, a young Butterfree.
"Welcome aboard, Alphonse," the Butterfree called to him.
He tried to reply, but no words came out. Feeling frustration with his inability to speak, he instead sat down aboard the ship, gazing out at the roaring white waves in the distance.
"Take it easy now; we're going into some rough weather," the Butterfree assured him.
Before he could object, a great wave crashed into the ship. He found himself underwater again, except this time he was unable to swim. The current blasted back against him, sending him bouncing along the waves. Trying to regain his bearings, he struggled endlessly against the waves that refused to let up. In his final moment, he refused to fight any further, instead letting the waves crash down on him, sending him deep below.
The Butterfree from before was nowhere to be found. But oddly enough, he could still hear it's voice.
"Everything will be okay, Alphonse. Just hold on."
Alphonse closed his eyes, trusting the words of the Butterfree.
A moment later, Alphonse heard another voice. It sounded just like Bethel's.
Alphonse gradually regained his vision. He was no longer underwater.
In a panic, he yelled out, his body arching up.
Black. There was nothing but black. He felt around with his hands, trying to regain his bearings. In a haze, he felt around, feeling cold stone and hay beneath him.
Breathing rapidly, he looked around again, trying to find anything other than darkness. He stumbled up, seeing a single flickering beam of light. Stumbling towards it, he reached out and felt a doorknob.
He was back at the thieves den.
"What just happened?" Alphonse wondered. Looking around, he saw Gattz in the corner of the room, tinkering away as usual.
"Morning, sleepyhead." Gattz called over to him.
"Did you get your beauty rest? Are you feeling pretty?"
Alphonse groggily rubbed his eyes, still barely aware of his surroundings. He concluded he must've been having a nightmare before. With no idea what time it was now, he lazily shuffled over to Gattz.
"You definitely don't look pretty. Better whip yourself back into shape before the gang gets back." Gattz reprimanded.
"What time is it? And where did they go?" Alphonse yawned.
"Eh, probably early afternoon now. They tried to wake you, but were obviously unsuccessful." Gattz chimed in.
"You missed the morning drills. Boss ain't too happy about that. Better make up for it. And I'm sure Beth and Ephie aren't too happy about being down a body to carry back loot."
Alphonse gulped, still rubbing his eyes.
"They went to the dungeon, not too far from here. Del likes to use it as a training ground for the newer folk, and there's pretty good fighting to be had there. And of course, good loot as well~" Gattz sang out.
"They'll probably be back soon. I'd whip yourself into shape now, it'll make your punishment a bit lighter, I'm sure."
"Thanks, I guess," Alphonse said, unamused.
"Anything you desire, mi'lord," Gattz teased. He then scoffed and shifted his attention back to tinkering.
Alphonse rushed around the facilities, occasionally asking Gattz for directions, much to Gattz's dismay. Alphonse quickly got fed, cleaned himself up a bit, and prepared his satchel again with various supplies and essentials for an expedition. Just as he finished, he heard an alarm blare throughout the den, nearly rupturing his eardrums.
"Don't worry, that's just the doorbell," Gattz groaned.
"Set it up myself. Neat, huh?"
"It... certainly grabs your attention," Alphonse responded, his ears still ringing from the noise.
"Well, it has to be. Who's ever heard of a quiet doorbell?" Gattz said, sparing no expense to show his disdain.
Alphonse stood at attention as Ephie, Bethel, and finally Del entered the main room.
"Good to see you're awake now, dear," Ephie laughed. "I was worried you'd never wake up."
Bethel rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, whatever. You'd better not let that happen again, Al," she said, her tone increasing in hostility.
Del was next to speak.
"We don't tolerate laziness," he growled angrily. "Next time you wake up late, you'll be sleeping on dirt and leaves instead of hay."
Alphonse gulped and expressed his apologies. "It won't happen again, sir." Del nodded threateningly.
"And keep that 'sir' business to yourself," he added starkly.
"How was the haul?" Gattz asked, unphased by the previous conversation.
"Marvelous." Ephie beamed. "Next time we run into a merchant, we'll be sitting on thrones made of Poke."
"Find any more gadgets?" Gattz inquired.
Ephie shook her head solemnly.
"Drat," Gattz said, defeated. "Ah well, I have plenty to work on already."
"You'll be taking Bethel's place tomorrow, Gattz. You all need to be at your best for the upcoming heist," Del added.
Then his gaze moved back toward Alphonse. Extending a finger into a point, he began to speak once more to Alphonse, in the same low growl as before.
"Al, come with me to my quarters. You too, Bethel."
Alphonse walked over to the two Pokemon, still standing as properly as he could. It was no easy task as his nerves were boiling over, but fear for what would happen if he disobeyed orders once more kept him in line. In a single file line, they all walked into Del's space, first Del, then Bethel, and lastly, Alphonse, as he shut the door behind him.
Del's room was also surprisingly clean. Even cleaner than Bethel's. The shelves were almost completely empty, aside from various pieces of memorabilia that almost resembled something a Rescue Team leader would wear. Aside from that, the only other immediately noticeable thing about Del's room was the occasional hole in the wall, likely products of Del's frustration and brute strength.
Del wasted no time getting to business. He motioned to a large set of metal plates on the floor that Alphonse would've tripped over had Del not pointed them out prior.
"Lift those," Del said. "Don't put them down until I tell you to."
Alphonse followed the directions hastily, but also with care so as not to fumble over anything else. The weights were incredibly heavy, but he managed to hide his exhaustion.
"Toss one over to me," Del commanded.
Alphonse tossed one of the first few metal disks towards Del. Del held out a single fist, "catching" the plate with his knuckle, causing it to crack into several pieces, shattering upon hitting the ground.
Alphonse was in utter awe of Del's strength.
"Keep throwing," Del barked.
Alphonse obeyed, tossing plate by plate off the pile into Del, who continued to punch them into dust. Del then spoke directly to Bethel.
"Tell him," he growled at her.
"First things first, your punishment. You'll be on moving and storing duty today. As long as you can keep up that same pace as yesterday, you shouldn't have any problems."
Bethel paused, as if to challenge Alphonse to say something. Alphonse, of course, remained silent, continuing to toss plates over to Del.
"Hold," Del growled. Alphonse stopped, still holding a substantial number of metal plates. His knees began to buckle.
"Second, we haven't yet spoken about your role here. I'm sure you don't want to be moving bags around for the rest of your life, and we hold higher expectations for you anyway." Bethel, sensing Alphonse's strength rapidly draining, looked up at Del for approval.
Del looked at her back and nodded silently.
"You can put those down now," Bethel said.
Alphonse dropped the remaining plates as the sound of metal clashing reverberated through the room.
"We need another fighter."
Alphonse paused.
"A fighter?" he choked out.
"The upcoming heist will be dangerous. And Del can't protect all of us from every angle. We need someone to guard our backs. That's where you'll come in."
Bethel paused again, expecting a response from Alphonse. Happy to see there was no further interruption, she continued.
"Normally, we'd have you spar with Del to judge your strength. But given the severity of the mission, we're trying something a bit more dire. You'll be venturing to the nearby dungeon with myself, Del, and Gattz tomorrow."
Alphonse gulped. It had been a long time since he fought other Pokemon, especially in a dungeon. But he knew he had no other choice now.
"Gattz will stay near the entrance to help us find our way out or if we need to escape early. Del typically leads the band on dungeon explorations, and I follow behind to watch his back. You'll be taking my place, and I'll be behind you to judge your abilities." Bethel added.
She began to giggle.
"It'll be fun to have someone else fighting out there. Gattz and Ephie rarely go deep into the dungeon, and Del usually hordes all the beatings for himself."
Her giggling began to fade as she returned to a more serious tone.
"The Pokemon there are tough. Probably tougher than what you're used to. But as long as you follow our orders and don't crack under pressure, you'll be fine. Clear?"
"Clear," Alphonse replied.
Del decided it was his turn to talk.
"Don't muck up again. The Pokemon there will be much harsher in their punishments than I could prepare you for."
Del turned away, motioning for the two to leave. They obliged without delay. As soon as the door was shut, the sound of crashing metal resumed from inside.
Alphonse sighed. He had certainly gotten himself into a dire situation. With no choice other than to take his punishment, he walked back to the entrance of the den and began moving the newly acquired loot into the thieves' various storage rooms.
Back in the inner sanctum of the thieves' den, Bethel, Gattz, and Ephie held a conversation.
"So, did you tell him the plan yet? I would've loved to see the look on his face," Gattz laughed.
"Oh, don't be so cold, Gattz, dear," Ephie chided.
"Not yet," Bethel said blankly. "He's no good to us if he cracks too soon."
"Oh, I can't wait until the expedition." Ephie sang in a joyful tone. "It'll be so grand to have enough food for the whole year!"
"Not just food, but all-you-can-eat buffets all night, every night!" Gattz cheered.
"Ah, I can hardly contain myself. They'll finally get what's been coming to them, those horrible Pokemon." Ephie erupted in laughter.
"They certainly will," Bethel added.