Chapter Text
Conia quickly took in their new surroundings (or lack there of), searching for any little gap in the rocky rubble that could potentially be pried open. She sighed in exasperation, they truly were trapped until Zir managed to dig them out somehow. To make matters worse, they were tightly compressed against the rocky wall, so there wasn’t even enough space to send out their pokemon to try and help out from their side. Well, Golduck probably wouldn’t have been much help in a situation such as this anyway, Its scratch would barely affect the rocks and water pulse would just lead to a flood.
Amethio was slumped against the wall, looking more irritated than Conia had seen him before. He glared piercingly at the blockage, as if it’d somehow cause it to magically crumble away.
“Amethio, sir, are you okay?” Conia asked, double-checking for any potential injuries.
His only reply was a slight nod of his head. For whatever reason, he seemed to be in a very reserved mood at the moment. Was he embarrassed she’d had to save him? Annoyed they’d come charging in as if he couldn’t handle things by himself? But then she’d noticed the way his body tremored ever so slightly. He’d tucked his knees in and had his arms wrapped tightly around them, clearly trying to make as much space for himself as possible. Upon noticing his vulnerability, his glare now appeared more akin to that of a weary child on the verge of bursting into tears.
Conia sat down, but instead of facing the collapsed rock as Amethio was she faced the far right side. “Amethio, if we sit back to back then there’ll be more room.” She softly suggested.
He noticeably hesitated for a moment, but in the next he was shuffling over to the opposite side of Conia and just barely allowing for his back to brush against hers. He allowed his legs to stretch out, seeming to relax a little now that their surroundings felt less caved in.
“So, how come you came back to this cave after the mission had been fulfilled?” She asked the question she pretty much already knew the answer to.
“I…” Amethio spoke quietly, as if calculating his words with caution. “I didn’t want those innocent pokemon to suffer.” He admitted.
Conia smiled, a sense of warmth spreading through her chest. “That’s very admirable, you know that right? I dismissed the issue entirely, regardless of how much it bothered me. But, you were willing to go charging into danger for the sake of punishing evil. There’s nothing wrong with that, so please don’t feel ashamed of it.”
“I wasn’t doing it to win any medals. So you don’t need to-”
“However.” Conia cut him off in a lower tone than usual, catching Amethio slightly off guard. “You can’t just run off by yourself like that! I know you’re a lot stronger than us, but it’s still dangerous!” She felt as if she were scolding a child at this point rather than having a civil discussion with her superior.
“I had it handled. Those hunters are all brawn without brain, and even when it comes to battling I outmatch them.” Amethio argued back.
“They nearly crushed you to death! They’re not honourable trainers, they’d do anything to cut corners in a fight! If we hadn’t realised you were missing, you might have been seriously hurt or worse!” Her voice shook with emotion, it surprised even herself to realise how deeply she cared about this. She breathed out slowly in an attempt to calm herself. “Just… please tell me, why didn’t you even consider asking us to accompany you back?”
Even while sitting faced away from him, Conia could sense Amethio clenching his fists and tensing up ever so slightly. “It wasn’t part of the mission. You had no reason to be involved with my own personal qualms. It would’ve been unprofessional for me to drag you two into it.” He answered, but Conia could sense that this wasn’t the entire truth.
“But we’re literally your underlings! It’s our job to obey you, it wouldn’t be the first time we’d been ordered to do something technically unnecessary to an assignment. We’re trained not to question our commands, to just get our heads down and follow our superior's orders. As an admin, I’m sure you’re aware of that. So please, be honest with me. Why didn’t you let us know your plans?” Conia was most certainly overstepping at this point, but she had nearly witnessed her boss be smushed into flatbread so she felt justified in hearing an explanation.
“... I’m an admin.” He replied curtly, as if that was a sufficient reason.
“And…?” She pressed him further.
Amethio sighed. “I’m an admin, so I have to prove myself to be worthy of the title. If I can’t even take care of a few low lives by myself, then what use even am I? Nobody needs a trainer who can’t even win a battle.” His confession was embedded with insecurity.
Conia turned her head to look at him, not even bothering to hide her shock. “But you’re not just some weapon, you’re a human being! I understand how important proving yourself is, but nothing compares to the value your life holds!”
“We Explorers only exist to fulfil Master Gibeon’s wishes.” He spoke robotically, his hollow gaze staring forward emotionlessly. “Did you forget that?”
‘Explorers only exist to fulfil Master Gibeon’s wishes’, the motto which they made sure to drill into every employee's brain. Except Conia had always been under the impression that everyone knew that wasn’t actually true, they all just repeated it because they were instructed to and not because they actually believed in it. She’d never seen someone actually take it to heart like Amethio, as if he’d truly centred his entire self-worth around what he could accomplish for Gibeon.
But everyone had dreams…right? Everyone longed for something, that was simply human nature!
But… if you’d never been taught to value yourself as ‘human’, would the idea even cross your mind?
“Amethio, listen-” She began, but was quickly cut off by a loud scraping sound which was followed by the dim light of the outer cave.
“Are you two okay in there?!” Zir called out as his Rhydon continued to fling the rocks away.
“We’re fine, no major injuries!” Conia answered, relived that help had finally come. Thankfully they were only waiting a few more seconds until there was enough room for the both of them to squeeze out.
“Huuu! I was starting to get worried that we might lose oxygen!” Conia stretched out, feeling a new appreciation for life when she was not trapped behind an inescapable hill of boulders. Amethio also appeared to be significantly more at ease, allowing his posture to relax slightly.
The tall dark figure of Ceruledge eyed its trainer closely, assessing him for any signs of injury. Amethio placed a comforting hand on its shoulder. “I’m okay, there’s nothing to worry about.” He spoke softly. Ceruledge grumbled, perhaps regretting the fact that it hadn’t been there to save him when he’d needed it. He looked over at Conia and frowned in concern. “You’re bleeding.”
“Ah.” Conia studied her right shoulder and noticed that part of her uniform had been cut open probably by a stray piece of debris, a thin line of scarlet oozed down her arm. She hadn’t even felt a tinge of pain until Amethio pointed it out. “It doesn’t really hurt. I’ll walk it off.”
“Still, if I hadn’t been so reckless… my actions caused injury to my team, no matter how small those injuries were. I’m sorry.” Amethio bowed his head apologetically.
“What you did was certainly reckless.” Zir agreed with a slightly stern expression which quickly melted into a warm smile. “But, instead of standing here talking about it, how about we go poach some poacher’s?” He suggested with a grin.
Amethio blinked in surprise. “You’d help me chase after them?”
Conia smiled confidently. “Of course! After all, they ruined a perfectly good uniform so now it’s personal. You said it yourself, we’re a team aren’t we? So let’s combine our strength and kick some ass!” She raised a fist to further exaggerate her point.
Also, they literally tried to murder my fifteen-year-old boss, so I’m suuuuuuper pissed off about that.
“I see…” Amethio’s expression lit up, as if relieved that his new associates were actually decent people. Well, this organisation didn’t exactly attract the most upstanding members of society after all. “Zir, did you manage to see which way they fled?”
Zir nodded. “After the cave in, they immediately ran through the right tunnel. I think I heard one of them mentioning regrouping back at their base.”
Amethio pressed his hand against his mouth, deep in thought.
“Got a plan?” Conia asked after a few minutes passed.
Amethio’s eyes narrowed sharply, conviction radiating off of him in an almost contagious matter. “We drive them into a corner.”
***
Making her steps as light as possible, Conia stealthily sneaked through the cavern to her appointed area. Peering over the rock, she surveyed the familiar camp they’d noticed earlier in the day. If everything had gone smoothly so far then Amethio should be in position by now, and Zir should be about to make his planned entrance. All she could do was wait patiently for her cue.
“Hey! Get out of your pathetic little shelter you Diglets!” Zir’s voice spat with fury as he confronted the poachers head on. The yelling seemed to get their attention, a few faces popped out of the tent, eyeing Zir with both confusion and humour.
“You… You assholes killed my friends! So get down here and pay for what you’ve done!” Zir beckoned them. The poachers turned to each other and shared a few words before descending towards Zir.
“Listen, it was nothing personal!” One of them spoke dismissively, his lack of remorse for the news he’d been delivered adding itself to Conia’s already long list of reasons to hate them. “That kid came running in here looking for a fight, we’re very busy people and just took the quickest route to dealing with the problem. It’s not our fault that lady decided to dive in after him.”
“Shut up! You’ve just taken two precious lives away, something that can never be reversed! So I won’t be satisfied until I make sure you’ve retired permanently!” Zir glared at his opponents with pure malice (even if it was acting, it still surprised Conia to see such a furious expression on her friend's face) and sent out his Rhydon. The poachers laughed and returned his challenge, surrounding him with their own pokemon.
‘Time for me to act!’ Conia quickly sprinted out of her position and towards the ongoing fight. As planned, the poachers' attention had completely targeted Zir, oblivious to the two very much alive trainers who were now blocking off their other potential means of escape. There were five of them, each barking orders to their corresponding pokemon. Zir would probably only be able to stall for a few more seconds. Noticing the perfect opening, Conia launched her Golduck into battle.
“Water Pulse!” Conia commanded. Golduck blasted a stream of hydro from its mouth, landing a direct hit on one of the enemy’s Houndoom. The Houndoom yelped as the attack sent it colliding with the ground, completely unaware of the oncoming attack until it’d connected. All the poachers turned their attention to their new foe, their mouths agape with shock.
“Surprised to see me? Honestly, you underestimate the resilience of women in this generation!” Conia smirked as she taunted them. The Houndoom’s owner gritted his teeth in fury, recalling his Houndoom after it failed to stand up after Golduck’s attack.
A swift motion of a dark figure slashed through the crowd of pokemon, spreading the cluster apart. On the left side of the Poacher’s base Amethio appeared, carrying a calm yet angry air to him that was akin to a blue flame.
“Be always prepared for anything in battle. Paying attention tends to help.” Amethio spoke disdainfully at his opponents.
“Y-You, you’re still alive?! Ah… I see now, that guy was just a decoy to lure us out! Well, it doesn’t matter if you’ve thought up some dumb strategy, we still outnumber you!” The poacher, which Conia recognised as the one who’d previously attempted to kill Amethio, hissed like a cornered animal.
Amethio didn’t look perturbed in the slightest. “Ceruledge, use Bitter Blade!” He commanded. Easily out speeding its opponents, Ceruledge’s flaming arm cut down on Its targets, sending them flying through the air. The Golbat flew above the chaos, avoiding any potential damage while firing off a few air cutters. Conia and Zir shared a nod, knowing the perfect strategy to pin it down.
“Rhydon, fire a Rock Blast towards Golbat!” Zir ordered. As the rocks flew towards Golbat, it glided out of the way, but Conia and Golduck were already prepared.
“Now, hit it down with Scratch!” Conia instructed. What the enemy Golbat hadn’t realised as it dodged the rocks hurdling towards it was that Golduck had been hoping across said rocks and closing the gap between the two of them. Within seconds, Golduck’s attack collided with the Golbat and sent it crashing to the ground. Before it even had a chance to get Its bearing and take flight, Ceruledge was already charging towards it, landing a super effective Psycho Cut and consequently knocking it out.
The poachers, now realising that they’d been utterly defeated, started to back away and scan their surroundings for any potential exits. But they’d planned exactly for this scenario: blocking off any means of escape as their partner pokemon stared down the poachers threateningly.
“What do we do with them, Amethio sir?” Conia awaited Amethio’s response.
Amethio looked down at the hunters as if they were mere insects. “Where did you store the captured pokemon?” He questioned. One of the poachers begrudgingly pointed towards the tent, looking very unhappy with the notion of giving up his prey. “Keep an eye on them, you two.” Amethio ordered as he approached the tent.
Conia watched from a distance as he uncovered what appeared to be a cage full of Carbinks. The azure crystals embedded within the pokemon sold for a high price, so they’d probably planned to extract the crystals out of the poor pokemon. They scurried to the back of the cage at Amethio’s sudden entry, staring at him with wide eyes. Within the next moment, Amethio commanded his Ceruledge to slash open the cage, effectively freeing the tiny pokemon.
“You’re free now. Go on back home.” He ushered them softly. They froze for a moment, confused at their sudden change in circumstances, but then realisation seemed to hit them as they all scurried out of the tent. They steered clear of their poachers on exit, and in a matter of seconds had completely disappeared from sight.
Now they just needed somewhere to put the poachers. As if on cue, approaching footsteps sounded from behind them. It was a group of people in hard hats, Conia instantly recognised one in particular.
“You three?” The man looked at them in confusion, but his eyes lit up once he spotted the defeated poachers. “Oh, so that’s what all the noise was! Thank you so much for dealing with these criminals, is there anyway we can compensate you?” The miner smiled.
“The pokemon are safe now, that’s all that matters. I take it you can deal with them from here?” Amethio spoke politely, polar opposite to his earlier demeanour when dealing with the poachers.
The miner nodded and proceeded to report the capture to the authorities through a Rotom phone. Amethio signalled for his underlings to leave with him and on her way out Conia made sure to shoot one last glare at the gang of poachers.
***
“Well, that was an active day! Kinda nice to feel like a hero for once.” Conia commented once they’d climbed back down into the stationed submarine. Of course being the hero once didn’t magically erase all her other wrongdoings, but it probably helped balance the scales at least a little.
Zir let out a large yawn, covering his mouth. “Geez what time is it? I’m ready for bed.” He strode over to his designated room.
Conia also felt the fatigue of today's' activities start to catch up with her and started to make her way towards bed. But Amethio still hung back at the control room, staring into the screen intently. “Amethio? Are you going to sleep?”
“Soon.” He replied curtly, sat upright in the control room’s chair. Conia repressed a groan. Were they back to doing this shallow back and forth already? She’d thought they’d become a little closer after their shared near-death experience…
‘Well, it doesn’t matter anyway because you’ll be gone after this.’ She reminded herself. Once again, she was acutely aware of that hollow emptiness that resonated with the notion of leaving. She just had to push through it. Rip the bandage off and kiss this hellhole goodbye.
Still, she didn’t really believe Amethio when he said he’d go to bed soon. She waited a couple of minutes before checking up on him again, and as predicated he was still sat at the screen. The only difference being that he was more slumped over now.
She went to go and tap him on the shoulder to prompt him to rest once more, but stopped herself when she noticed the slow falling and rising of his chest. A fond smile tugged at her lips, it seemed that regardless of how mature he tried to act her boss still harboured the body of a fifteen-year-old and would thus struggle more with preserving his energy. Moving him probably wasn’t the best idea, the risk of waking him up that way was too high. Instead, Conia opted for locating the nearest blanket and gently setting it down onto Amethio’s sleeping figure.
Gah… but when he’s curled in on himself like this he really does resemble an adorable little Espurr... . Don’t pet him. Don’t pet him. Don’t pet him. As tempting as it was, the last thing Amethio would appreciate was being awoken to his subordinate stroking his head. Even if his little snores resembled an Espurr purring, she had to resist!
Luckily, her temptations were shocked out of her when she noticed another figure watching her from the sidelines intently. She nearly blurted out in surprise, but was able to stop herself so all that sounded from her was a sudden miniature gasp.
Ceruledge’s piercingly sharp gaze scrutinised Conia closely, she could practically hear it asking her ‘Are you trustworthy? Do you truly care for him?’
She nodded her head, which on second thought might’ve been a little confusing for the pokemon if it had in actuality just been staring at her instead of trying to work something out.
“I think we both want the same things. I’d rather die than hurt him. You two, you’re quite close, aren’t you? I’ve noticed how he often has you roaming around. It makes me very glad to know he’s got a knight protecting him at all times.” Conia smiled as she whispered to Ceruledge.
The fiery pokemon looked to the ground in shame at that comment. Ah, right. Poor choice of words Conia. It would have actually failed to protect him back at that cave if she and Zir hadn’t turned up in time. Clearly, the pokemon was still very torn up about Its near failure.
“But no harm came to him in the end. Even if you can’t be there for him at all times, I promise I’ll be there in turn.” Conia swore. Ceruledge blinked meaningfully at her, honestly it was amazing how much empathy pokemon were capable of.
But you’re lying. You can’t be there for him, not if you’re leaving tomorrow.
Being a pokestar was Conia’s dream. It was a dream she’d longed for years, constantly defending her aspirations from her parents and motivating her through this shitty job. That dream was finally about to come into fruition.
So… why didn’t it bring out that whirling exciting buzzy emotion in her chest like always? Why did it now feel so shameful, something that would burden her soul for the rest of her life?
She looked down towards Amethio’s sleeping figure once more. The boy didn’t show any signs of waking, it was the most peaceful she’d ever seen him. The memory of his vulnerable, almost teary eyes flashed within her mind.
And then she knew. She knew the horrible types of people that Explorers hired. She knew that if she left there was a high chance Zir would be replaced by some other team. She knew the chances of said team actually giving a shit about Amethio were next to none.
She knew… what she truly wanted more than anything now was to protect him.
After that line of thought, she rushed over to the room with the only person who could talk some sense into her. There was no universe where she could convince herself to pursue her dream, regardless of how strongly she’d agonised over it. So all she needed was someone to tell her it was okay for her to be selfish.
After a quick knock, she opened the dorm room. Zir rubbed his eyes, not looking exactly pleased about having his sleep interrupted for the second time today. “Oh sweet Arceus, did he actually fall off the submarine this time?” He grumbled.
“Zir… we need to- we have to talk about Amethio.” She spoke in ragged breaths. Zir’s irritated expression twisted into one of concern. He truly was a soft-hearted person, that was what Conia liked about him most. “I don’t know what to do any more, Zir. I can’t make the right decision.” She painfully admitted.
Zir picked up on what she was implying instantly. “You don’t know if you should leave any more?” He guessed. Conia nodded weakly in response.
“He’s just so young… You saw what happened earlier, he could’ve been crushed to death! How can I just pack up my things to pursue my own future knowing he’ll be living in an environment where every job could kill him?!” Conia’s voice shook.
Zir glanced at her sympathetically. “No one will hold you accountable for it. You’re allowed to do what makes you happy. You’ve worked hard for this, haven’t you?”
“I have… I want this more than anything.” She agreed, and how lovely would it have been to have left it at that. “But… I just can’t understand that boy. Why does he do this to himself? At his age there are so many opportunities, especially with his skill in battle, so why settle for this organisation? Why doesn’t he leave?”
Zir looked away, something heavy clearly weighing on his mind. “I have a theory about that. But it’s just some observations, I don’t have any concrete evidence to prove it.”
“Please, just tell me. I want to understand him.” Conia desperately requested.
Zir sighed. “Conia, how familiar are you with the term ‘Child soldier’?”
Conia’s insides twisted at the implications that question already brought. “You mean children who have been groomed into carrying out orders for some sort of organisation? I see what you’re getting at, but Amethio is older than ten so it is technically legal for him to use his pokemon for whatever.”
Zir shook his head. “Don’t focus on the age part. Rather, what do you think makes them so effective?”
Conia concentrated in thought. “Hmm… Because they’re quite naive and so easily taken advantage of at that age?” She guessed.
“Well, that probably factors into it. But what really makes them such a goldmine for exploitation is their background. People looking to manipulate children into weapons will always go for those who come from nothing. With no place to call home and no family connections, their recruiters can easily mould their impressionable minds. They give them a purpose, a reason to live to fill their empty life. All they have to do is stay loyal and follow orders.” Zir explained with a grim tone.
“So they essentially have complete influence over the child and use this to trick them into thinking serving these people will give their lives some sort of meaning? They don’t even ask for much, because to them being wanted for even the smallest thing is a reward in itself. That’s beyond fucked up! But surely a part of them knows it’s wrong, right? Surely they occasionally find themselves longing for more out of life?!” Conia’s fists tightened, her nails digging into her palms. Screw the repercussions, if she ever saw Gibeon in person she’d definitely give him a good punch to the face.
“It doesn’t come as easily to them as it would to someone like us. Think back on exactly why you want to become a pokestar. Those experiences, the people you’ve met that influenced your goal… practically none of that stuff would be available for those children. They don’t dream, so they never even imagine leaving.” Zir clarified.
“So regardless of how dangerous it could be, Amethio will continue to serve Master Gibeon because he’s been groomed into accepting the position? In that case… I could probably take him with me, I’m sure I could afford it!” Conia decided.
Zir shook his head. “I know you have the best of intentions when you say that, but that’s not the right way to go about this. It’s impossible to truly help someone until they actually acknowledge how terrible their situation is. Hypothetically, if you actually did manage to convince him to leave with you, how do you think the Explorers would react? They say that agreeing to become an admin is the same as signing an eternal contract with Master Gibeon. Do you really think they’d even let him leave?” Zir pointed out.
“True, I didn’t consider that… We’d probably have a tough time shaking them off our trail. In that case, I could probably just hide him away until they give up…” Conia pondered the options.
“You can’t do that,” Zir spoke sternly. “Think about how Amethio feels too! Sure, maybe he’d be safe from them if they never found you, but is that worth making him live like a dog for an indiscernible amount of time? Would the life he’d be living be any better than the one he’s in right now?”
“...” Conia couldn’t think of a response for that. She sighed, her vision starting to become blurred. “We’re… powerless, aren’t we?”
Zir responded with a solemn nod.
“Then… I have to at least stay by his side. I’ll call up and say I’ve changed my mind about quitting.” Conia decided.
“Conia, you don’t have to do this. I know his situation is terrible, but you’ve got your own life to live-”
“No, I have to stay!” Conia yelled louder than intended. She could feel the tears fully forming and starting to trickle down her face. “My family, while I know they loved me, I heard what they’d whisper about me when they thought I wasn’t around. I knew they looked down on me for wanting to be a pokestar. So that’s why… I had to become a pokestar! Because I wanted to tell the world that It’s okay to dream! It’s okay to reach for the stars, even if everyone tells you it's impossible! So then how could I just abandon a boy who doesn’t even know what it’s like to dream?! Sure, maybe I’ll be successful, but becoming a hypocrite and betraying the message I stand for isn’t worth any of that!” She panted, her little tangent had taken the air out of her.
“If you truly feel that strongly about it, I won't stop you.” Zir conceded.
Conia nodded. Honestly, it was funny how 24 hours ago she’d never be able to even imagine halting her dream for the foreseeable future. But her heart knew she was making the right call. Amethio needed them, even if he couldn’t see that just yet.
***
“Nice sleep?” Conia commented with a hint of amusement as Amethio rose from his slumber.
He rubbed his eyes groggily. “I fell asleep in here? Sorry, that’s unprofessional of me.” He looked away, as if embarrassed of being seen in such a state. “By the way, didn’t you mention you’d be resigning after this?”
“Oh yeah, about that…” Conia searched for a convenient lie. “You see, after re-examining my expenses I realised I miscalculated how much money I’d need. Damn inflation.” She chuckled, hoping he’d buy it.
“I see. I look forward to continuing our work together then.” He replied, notably more friendly than he was when they’d first met. Conia liked to think he was starting to warm to her, which wasn’t completely odd given their shared near-death experience.
“Room service!” Zir sang as he entered the control room with a tray in hand. “I made us some breakfast. Well, ‘made’ is being generous all I actually did was stick these pastries in the oven for a bit. But they’re still nice and fresh.” Zir smiled and set down the tray by Conia and Amethio.
Conia picked one of the little pastries up and took a bite, humming gratefully at its pleasantly sweet taste. After having a quick staring contest with his, Amethio picked one up and devoured it within a few bites.
“Good choice Zir, the amount of sweetness is just right,” Amethio commented, his violet eyes flashing with appreciation.
A fond smile tugged at Conia’s lips. Perhaps one day, she’d be able to see Amethio smile too. It didn’t matter if it wasn’t her making him smile. She didn’t need to be the hero either. If someone, just anyone, could extend their hand and pull him away from the Explorers…
She’d see to it that he’d find happiness. No matter how long it takes, she wouldn’t leave him until he found a place he was truly safe at.