[header] Montagne Khastil - Unranked - Thursday, June 9th, Midnight - Estival Ave. Warehouse [/header]
"Be sure to let me know how it goes, eh?"
"Of course, Miche. Don't get picked up while you're out."
The beaux voyous shared a handshake and Michel departed the warehouse, leaving Monty alone with the long-since unloaded and inventoried Pokémon. He could have left with the rest of the crew the moment their work was done, but Monty had something more to attend to than just getting the job done and calling it a night.
The warehouse was divided in thirds, with two-thirds of it devoted to storing the trucks and any inventory and the other third converted to a basic living space. A pair of old second-hand couches, an old rug in desperate need of a cleaning, a coffee table littered with tobacco, rolling papers, and other paraphernalia, a TV, a microwave and some filing cabinets filled the space, and Monty crossed over to it with his eyes glued to the newest piece of furniture; the large metal cage containing the criminal's future partner.
The venom-filled glare hadn't left the creature's eyes since they'd met on Wabash's ship, and it stared at Monty as he sat down on one of the couches facing the cage. Its body language exuded disdain, and its claws periodically scraped against the metal cage floor as though the Pokémon wanted to remind Monty how displeased it was with its situation.
Monty's heart pounded as he faced the creature, mind racing with the possible outcomes of him unlocking the cage. Absol, a Dark-Type, he thought, recalling the brief research he and Michel had done on the drive back from the docks. Even a non-trainer like Monty knew that Dark-Types held a less than favorable reputation, often being strong-willed and cunning enough that trainers would give up early in their training cycles.
Nevertheless, the young man was confident in his ability to train the Dark-Type. Monty retrieved the Luxury Ball from his jacket pocket, expanding the sphere to its full size and taking a moment to admire its black and gold finish. The Absol eyed the device warily, seeming to recognize it on some level, but if it disapproved of its presence it gave no indication.
All I have to do is catch this thing, then maybe Cormier will get off my back, Monty thought, turning his attention to the caged creature. It raised its head to better look at the Luxury Ball, the tip of its horn scratching at the top of the cage harshly, and its fur began to bristle up as its glare intensified.
What the hell? Monty thought as his right arm began to feel strangely heavy. He outstretched his right hand, holding the Ball out, and crouched down in front of the cage. The weight intensified as the ball got closer to the Absol, but Monty fought back against it as his hand passed through the cage bars.
Heart racing with anticipation, Monty pressed the Ball to the Absol's forehead. A moment of anti-climactic silence passed as nothing happened, and Monty withdrew his hand in confusion. Is this thing defective? He wondered, turning it over in his hands as he looked for any visible damage, but it appeared to be completely functional. Monty looked back at the Absol, noticing the slightly satisfied look in its eyes, and thought, Did it reject the ball? Can Pokémon even do that?
It hadn't occured to Monty that the Absol might be able to reject becoming partners. "What am I gonna do now?" He wondered aloud, sinking back into the couch and tossing the Luxury Ball aside. "I have to go back to Cormier with something," the young man lamented to no one in particular as he ran a hand through his curly brown hair out of irritation. Monty looked back at the Absol, which had calmed down a little from its earlier display but still glared at him.
"This is such bullshit," he announced angrily, stomping to his feet as he crossed over to the fridge in the corner of the living space. Monty opened the door and unconsciously pulled out a water bottle and a Galarian lager, popping the cap on the latter to take a swig as he grabbed a small paper bowl. "What's your problem, guy?" Monty called from across the living space to the caged Absol, when it struck him that maybe if he let the Pokémon out first it might change its mind.
Monty crossed back to the cage and set the bowl down, twisting the cap off the bottled water and pouring some in for the Absol. "Here's some water," he told it, though it gave the same reaction as every other time he had spoken; no reaction. Monty took another swig of his lager and reached into his pockets to retrieve the cage key. The dull bronze key fit right into the cage door's lock, and Monty twisted it to free the Absol.
The young man swung the door open and took a step back, sitting back down on the couch to watch the Absol's reaction. It didn't move a muscle at first, but its eyes immediately dropped to the bowl of water sitting in front of the open cage door. Its large red eyes darted back up to Monty as its weight shifted, and a single black-clawed leg outstretched from the cage and found purchase on the semi-soft warehouse carpet.
The Absol hauled itself out of the cramped cage slowly, stepping out with intent as the blood rushed back to its legs after so long without use. Its horn scraped the edge of the cage roof as it emerged, and the Absol held its head high with pride as it reached its full height. The venom left its glare, and it regarded Monty with its large red eyes that seemed more intrigued than anything.
"Feeling better?" Monty asked. The Absol didn't respond, but its eyes darted from him, down to the bowl, and back to him like it didn't want to avert its gaze. "It's just water," Monty said in an attempt to reassure the Absol, but it didn't budge. Monty didn't move either as he watched the Absol watch him, both seeming to wait for the other to make a move.
"Let's try this agai-" Monty started to say as he reached for the discarded Luxury Ball, averting his gaze only for the Absol to disappear in a flash of black light and a whoosh of fur. The criminal's head snapped back up as he cursed in surprise, and he whipped around to see the Absol watching him from across the warehouse right in front of the cracked-open door.
The blood drained from Monty's face as he cried out, "Wait!", but the Absol took one last glimpse at him as it pushed its head through the door and escaped into the night.
Shit, shit, shit, shit, SHIT! Monty thought frantically as he sprung to his feet, leaving the Luxury Ball behind on the couch as he sprinted in pursuit of the escaped Absol. Did Michel leave the door open? He wondered as he slammed through it, hand whipping back to shut it as his eyes darted up and down Estival Avenue in search of white fur or black horns.
"There," the criminal muttered aloud as he spotted the feline Pokémon fast approaching Southern Boulevard. He took off in a full sprint, but the Absol disappeared around the corner long before he had a chance of catching up. The breath caught in his throat as his boots pounded down the cobbled street, and he flowed with determination as he thought, This thing might be the best chance I get! I'm not letting it just get away!
Monty swung around the corner just in time to get an eyeful of the worst scenario possible. The Absol made a turn of its own, toward the Route 5 gate. There's no way, Monty thought in disbelief, but by the time he reached the gate himself the Absol was nowhere to be seen.
The criminal forced himself to slow his stride slightly as entered the gate, not wanting to alert any security who might be stationed there, and the blood pounded in his ears as he crossed the deceptively infinite hall to the other side. The Absol wasn't in the gate hall, meaning it was already outside, meaning by the time Monty's boots hit Route 5's dirt path it was long gone.
Monty nearly fell as he slowed his run to a halt, staring out into the relative wilderness of Versant Road, and he sunk down in defeat as he gasped for breath. It's gone, he mentally languished. FUCK! It's GONE!
His mind raced back to the warehouse, searching for something to blame or some way to have changed what happened. The obvious thing was the first to come to mind, but Monty couldn't even bring himself to blame Michel for leaving the door open. He should have double checked. He shouldn't have unlocked the cage.
There was a lot he should have done, but as he replayed the night in his mind the image of its ribs clutching to the Absol's sides wormed its way into the forefront of Monty's memory. The criminal was overwhelmed with shame as he felt his own stomach yearn for food and thought, It must be so hungry.
Monty picked himself up and dragged his feet to a nearby bench, sinking down into it absentmindedly. The young man recalled the Absol's large red eyes, remembering its furious glare at being captured, and shameful tears threatened to well up in his eyes as he lamented his own hypocrisy.
He found himself back in his cell, overflowing with hatred at the world from top to bottom; the police, the guards, the other prisoners, the very walls which kept him trapped. The memory forced Monty to make an uncomfortable connection, and he looked up to the moonlit sky for a long while as if searching for reassurance that he might be wrong.
Unfortunately, the moonlit sky had no reassurance to offer. Monty sat for a while longer nevertheless, having long since abandoned hope that the Dark-Type would return but too stubborn to just leave, until a rustling in the leaves caught his ear. He tilted his head down from the sky to the treeline, where across the path a patch of white fur had broken through.
No way, he thought, yet his eyes weren't deceiving him. The Absol had returned.
This is my chance! Monty's blood pumped with adrenaline as his hand shot into his jacket pocket, only for it to dissipate the moment he realized he'd left it in the warehouse. His head snapped up to glimpse the Absol as it turned away, and he called out to it in a desperate attempt to salvage his best shot at getting the Boss off his back.
"Wait! Don't go!"
The Absol stopped just before it disappeared behind the trees.
How can I convince it? The young man's mind raced, and in an instant he thought of the perfect argument.
"If you come with me, you'll get stronger."
The Absol turned back to face Monty, it's black horn slicing straight through a low hanging branch. Its eyes gleamed with intrigue.
"I need to go a journey. I don't know what's going to happen, but I'm sure to fight powerful enemies. If you come with me, you can fight them, too."
Monty's proposal was a gamble, but he felt confident in his bet. From he and Michel's brief r esearch, it seemed as though appeals to pride would be especially effective in motivating Dark-Types. Unfortunately, the Absol didn't seem convinced as it stood motionless, still just staring.
What else can I say? The young man dug deep and laid his final card on the table. "I'm supposed to lead the Old Guard one day, so I'll need a strong partner with me. With you by my side, no one could stand in our way." He outstretched an inviting hand to the Dark-Type.
"So join me."
The Absol tilted its head, studying Monty from across the path, and the young man held his breath as he waited for a response from the Pokémon. After a small eternity it leapt forward and bounded across with graceful movements, coming to a stop a few feet away from him.
Yes! Monty was flooded with relief, taking a deep breath as he reached out to his new partner.
The Dark-Type regarded him with regal eyes as it crept closer, and Monty couldn't detect any malice in its expression. He lifted his hand and moved to place it on the Absol's head, but stopped as he felt gravity pulling harder out of nowhere like earlier with the Luxury Ball.
Monty dropped his hand and stood up, unperturbed by his unsuccessful attempt at contact. Even if he couldn't touch the Absol right now, it still came back, and he was still closer to what Cormier wanted than before.