Chp 29

	"Our badges won't work. We're too far away, so we'll have take the boat back." Hunter explained. This was the most the scizor had said since dinner started. Now it was almost over, only a couple of desserts still on plates. 

	"You could stay the night. I assume you are all exhausted." 

	"No." Hunter said.

	"Oh yeah, that pelipper is still waiting for us." Phantom said. Mystic was still glaring daggers at Carver, but she didn't have anything to say at the moment. Dinner had been mostly quiet, except for Mew. 

	"I see. You are welcome any time." Mewtwo said.

	"Yeah, come visit!" Mew said excitedly. 

	"You know, this might be a nice place to spend our honeymoon." Clara said to Prince. "How's that sound?" She asked Mew.

	"Yay, couples night!" Mew cheered, flying over to the leafeon and taking a cheek in each paw and squeezing. 

	"I can always teleport the both of you home." Mewtwo told them. 

	"What about us?" Phantom asked Mystic.

	"I don't really care. If you wanna stay, I'm game." She said.

	"I'm afraid we can't." Hunter spoke up. "We have business to take care of."

	"Why? Didn't we take care of everything?" Mystic asked.

	"Not quite. There's one last thing." 

	"Ah, before you leave, you should know something. Three of the five members of the Shadow are dead. Tyrant, Reaper, and Hearth are gone. Carver is right there, and Grit escaped." Mewtwo explained. 

	"Grit? Which one was that?" Clara asked.

	"The flygon." 

	"But, I, I mean we, killed him. Shot him right into the water and watched the bubbles stop."

	"No. He is alive. Do not fret however. He is no threat on his own. For the two living, they were only dangerous under the guidance of the group. Tyrant and Reaper were the true dangers, but they were reined in by Hearth."

	"Before we go, Mewtwo, can you tell me about the other two, the charizard and the mienshao?" Hunter asked. "Mostly why they were here." 

	"Yes, Flare and Marie. They hardly ever showed up, only coming in dire circumstances or for important business."

	"Do you know their motives?"

	"To a degree. They were old friends with Hearth. Flare was interested in rare items, and would often use Tyrant to buy or sell them. Marie was focused on keeping things a secret, using her connections with the Rescue Foundation to avoid suspicion."

	"I see. Thank you for telling me. We need to leave." Hunter said. "We should get home before it gets too late." He got up and walked out of the room suddenly. 

	"What's up with him?" Ashley asked.

	"C'mon, we should catch up before he leaves without us." Mystic said, and the four of them got up and departed the building. 

+++

	A while later, they were back in Journey town. Once docked, Hunter took them all back to the base, but they went to Marie's office, as his still had a hole in it. 

	"So what is it that's been buggin' you?" Ashley asked. 

	"Everything you could say. I'm tired so I'll make this quick." He took the badge off of his claw and set it on the desk. "I'm stepping down. As your reward, I am placing your team in charge of this base. There are others in line to be the head of the Rescue Foundation, so I cannot do more." He walked right past them and to the door. 

	"Hunter... Why?" Phantom asked. 

	"I am no longer worthy. Ask Harrison if you need help. He's knowledgeable in the running of this place." He opened the door, stepped through, and shut it. "I'm sorry." He said from beyond it. The sound of his footsteps faded away soon after. 

	"So... now what?" Ashley asked. 

	"First, we go home and sleep. We can figure this whole thing out tomorrow." Mystic said.

	"What do you think spooked him like that?" Ashley asked.

	"He killed his best friends." Phantom explained. 

	"Oh... shit..." Ashley muttered. 

	They sat in silence for a bit, until Mystic got up and began to walk to the door. The others followed. 

	"And what do you think you're doing here?" Mystic asked once they got back. Carver was still with them. 

	"Well, I'm following my team. This is our base, isn't it?" He responded.

	"What makes you think you're welcome here?" She asked back. 

	"Not tonight, please." Phantom asked, trying to stop the brewing fight. 

	"Fine, he can stay, on one condition." She said with a devious smirk. A short while later, they had erected an impromptu wall of spare pillows and mats in the middle of the bed. On one side was Phantom and Mystic, and on the other was Ashley and Carver. 

	"What is her problem?" Ashley whispered to the absol while spooning with him. 

	"I don't blame her. I was your enemy until a few hours ago." He said as he idly stroked her side with a paw. 

	"We can hear you. And don't even think about doing anything." Mystic warned. "Now go to sleep." 

+++

	Mystic awoke to the sound of running water. She looked up to see Carver filling the bath for himself. His back was to her. Phantom was still asleep, and she took a quick peek over the pillow wall to see Ashley was sleeping too. 

	"Care to join me?" He asked. 

	Her head shot back around and she bolted up, baring her teeth. 

	"It's just a bath." He muttered. "I used to be involved with a hot spring, so I know how to make it perfect." He stuck a paw in the water, held it for a moment, and adjusted the water accordingly. He turned and went over to the berry storage, and rummaged around a bit, eventually coming back with a couple of berries. He set them down next to the bath, and slashed his claws over them, splitting them down the middle. He then moved them around, placing a half on each side of the bath, and squeezing a little juice out of them. He then went back over to the berries and took a few more, different ones. This time he tossed them into the bath. 

	"What are you doing?" Mystic asked, approaching and speaking quietly. 

	"Hop in and see." He offered as he slowly entered the hot water. He let out a relaxed sigh as he immersed all but his head. 

	Mystic's nose twitched as she smelled something sweet. She was immediately on edge. Was he using attract? 

	"The pecha berries make it smell nice, and the oran berries make for a soothing, muscle relaxing bath." He explained. 

	Mystic got a little closer, her paws resting on the edge of the tub. It was only a water sealed depression in the floor, instead of a standing tub, but it was better that way, as it was easier to enter and leave. She tested the water before slowly entering, keeping an eye on Carver the whole time. 

	"If there's anything I can do, go ahead and ask." 

	"Well, I am curious about what Hearth said. He said some bull about how it was for the greater good." 

	"Yep, that sounds like him. He was at least idealistic. His idea was to provide a niche market as humanely as possible. It was a terrible idea. We barely treated the girls better than animals. We ran our own little slaughter house. When they tried to recruit me, I saw the conditions, so it became my goal to make it better. There was no way I could have stopped them. When Grit showed up on Mt Frostorm, I knew what I had to do. I was with them for about five months." 

	"So you were there when I was kidnapped. From Mt Frostorm." 

	"Well I was with them, but my job was shared with Grit. It must've been him who took you. It was a regular day, when a new bunch of kidnapped girls were brought in. Mew happened to escape, and managed to teleport someone away before being captured. That was you."

	"And how did you meet my sister?" 

	"Well, my job was twofold. I scouted out new girls, and if I thought they would be a good fit, I'd drug them and deliver them to a local storehouse. I tried my best to avoid causing strife, but it was unavoidable. Then I also went to the many strip clubs our girls worked at, all owned in some way, shape or form by the group. I had to check things out, gather profits from the local storehouses, or the clubs that were owned in my name, and make sure none of the girls were stepping out of line. It made my job bearable seeing them. They seemed so happy, so blissfully unaware of what had happened..." A look of sadness crossed his face. "I try not to regret my life, but..." He dipped his head into the water, soaking his thick fur. "Anyways, I meet Ashley when she was in one of the clubs, Mt Frostorm again, go figure. We went out on an adventure together, and one thing led to another." 

	"A whole lot more happened than that, but you got the gist of it." Ashley said. She came over and stuck a paw in the water before pulling it away quickly. "Shit that's hot." She slowly adjusted to it before settling in next to Carver. "Ohh, tingly." She commented. 

	"Yeah, I'd rather not hear about how you banged my sister." 

	"Too bad. He's got a huge-" 

	"So, what are we doing today?" Phantom asked, interrupting her. He came over, but did not get in the tub. It was a big one, but there was barely any room left. 

	"Well, I guess we need to go back to the main base. I hope Hunter is still there." Mystic said. 

	"I don't know anything about him, but when a man makes a decision like that, he never goes back on it." Carver said. 

	A short while later, and they were dried off, clean and ready for the day. The group ventured out and to the main base, where all was business as usual, pokemon bustling to and fro. They went to the main office, and went inside. It was empty, and Hunter's badge still sat on the table. 

	"So, what should we do? I for one don't know the first thing about running this place." Ashley said.

	"Hunter did say to talk to Harrison. Isn't that the farfetch'd who runs the dorms?" Phantom offered.

	They left the office and went to the dorms, where just inside, behind the front desk, was Harrison. 

	"Ah, I recognize you. Well some of you. Nevertheless, you are that team that's been helping Hunter. Have you seen him?" He asked.

	"Well... that's the thing..." Phantom muttered.

	"Hunter left. And he put us in charge." Mystic said.

	"You must be joking." The bird looked at them longer. "You're serious... my, oh my, what a fine mess." 

	"He said you'd help us." 

	"Well, it is true that I used to run this place before Hunter's team took over. You are a bit young for such a task, no offense. The best advice I can give you is to surround yourself with others who are skilled. No one can do everything alone."

	"So what do we have to do?" Mystic asked.

	"Well, you have to do a lot of paperwork, handle mission requests and rewards, keep the merchants happy, keep a log of all the teams, send out reports to the central Foundation base..." 

	"So, you said you used to do that?"

	"Why yes. After the war with the Blade, Hunter and his team were assigned to this base, and put in charge. They saw fit to keep me on staff thankfully."

	"So can you do all that?"

	"Yes, I can. Would you like me to?"

	"Sure. We're still a rescue team. We don't have time to stop and do all that." She told him.

	"Excellent. I'll take care of everything. Now to start gathering staff... And please, do keep in contact. You are still in charge." 

	"I guess that makes things easier... But it kinda seems like we're slacking off..." Phantom said. 

	"Not everyone is meant to manage. Some base leaders are better fit to working in the field. Just do whatever you think you should." 

+++

	"So, what now?" Ashley asked. "We gonna do a job?" 

	"Well, actually..." Phantom started.

	"We need to bury Zys." Mystic finished his sentence, quietly. 

	"Oh... I was wondering where he went." 

	Phantom set the box down and opened it. "Huh?" The orb inside was gone. "His body, it's gone..." 

	"What?!" Mystic asked, nudging him aside to look. True to his words, the gem that was in Zys' chest, and all that remained of him, was gone. "Where did it go?!" She began to tear through the box, though it was impossible for it to be hiding behind anything else, as big as it was. "Did you drop it or take it out or-"

	"No... I didn't do anything. It's gone. Maybe... maybe he's okay." Phantom said.

	"I hope that's what it means." Mystic said. "Alright, I guess we can take a job." 

	"So, I have an idea." Carver said. "How about we split up? Ashley and I, and you and Phantom?" 

	"No." Mystic immediately shot him down. "I don't care what the reason is, but you are not going off alone together." 

	"Fine by me. Just a suggestion." He said, with as much a shrug as his body could manage. 

	Once they got to the job board, Phantom looked it over. "Go in search of a rare treasure? Hmm, sounds fun, how about that?" Everyone else nodded, so he took down the letter. 

	"I've heard tales of a treasure hidden in Aurora forest. I'm not strong enough to find it, so please go find out if it's true!" 

	They went upstairs to the map room. "Wait." Ashley said. "Carver doesn't have a badge. He can't use the thing." 

	"I think I remember how to do it." Phantom said. "Be right back." He went downstairs by himself, and into the main office. He looked around a bit, until he found a box of badges. They were all dull and grey. He took one out and tapped his badge to it. It lit up, and the color changed to gold. Now that he looked at his own, it was the same color. That was odd. It had originally been bronze or copper. He decided it didn't much matter, and went back upstairs. "Here." He said, giving it to the absol.

	"Thanks." He said, pinning it just above where his horn connected to his head. 

	"So I was looking at the place, uh, remember that tower we went to, where that trap was... Well our job's at the forest we went to after that." 

	"Oh... that..." He said, blushing.

	"I don't blame it you." She told him, putting a paw on his. 

	"Care to explain?" Ashley asked.

	"Nope." Mystic said, sticking out her tongue. "Things happened. That's all you need to know. Anyway, here it is." She planted her paw on the spot. One by one they tapped their badges on it, teleporting in a pillar of light. 

	"Oh yeah, I remember this place. Spook tower is nearby. The Blade, the predecessors of the Shadow, had a trap there. We converted it to a similar one. Instead of knockout gas, it was a trap I helped create, called a lust trap. It works similar to attract and makes anyone who breathes it in... well, I'm assuming you can guess." 

	"Wait a minute." Ashley said, squinting at Mystic as she connected the dots. "Oh, I get it." She snickered. "You and Phantom-"

	"Shut it." Mystic told her, pointing to Phantom. "You're gonna kill him." He was beet red. 

	"What's the big deal? We've already done it." 

	"It was our first time." Mystic told her, making Phantom hit an even deeper shape of red. "So!" She said loudly, ending that train of thought. "Treasure. Let's get lookin'." 

	They were just on the edge of the forest, in a small open patch of grass next to the main road. 

	"So what exactly are we looking for?" Carver asked.

	"Treasure." Mystic told him.

	"Treasure like what? Jewels? Items?"

	"Treasure." She repeated.

	"So we have no idea. Great." He said sarcastically. "How will we even know if we found it? Treasure is treasure, but how will we know if it's THE treasure?" 

	"Just relax." Ashley told him. "The job is only to take a look and see if we can find anything." 

	"I thought being in a rescue team, we would go, oh, I don't know, rescue people!" 

	"Hush." Ashley said, smacking his foreleg with a paw. "We'll get to that. Our job is to help people, one way or another."

	"Look who sounds like the expert now." Mystic teased her. "The forest isn't a dungeon so we should be fine. Let's kick it." And so they ventured into the forest. 

	As she said, the forest was hardly dangerous. There was skittering in the brush from pokemon and animals, but nothing tried to attack them, likely because of the size of their group. Nothing really happened, until they heard a far off voice, rapidly getting louder and closer. 

	"HEY!" A female voice yelled from above them. 

	They all looked up, but no one could see the source. Suddenly something red burst through the trees, moving in a blur. It stopped, sending a powerful gust of wind at them, billowing all of their fur. A talonflame landed before them, panting. 

	"Please." She said. "You have to help me. My brother's sick!" She begged. "He's really sick!" 

	"Of course we'll help. Where is he?" Carver asked before anybody else could. 

	"Follow me." She took to the air, flapping her wings to stay in the air and guide them forward. She stayed in the forest, skillfully navigating between the trees. They followed the bird for a long time, until they eventually an old ornate archway. 

	"What is this?" Mystic asked. "Why are there ruins like this in the middle of the forest?" 

	"Oh... Um, uh... Please don't freak out on me, I really need your help." She said, before her form shimmered. Her body changed, as if her old form was a mirage, revealing the red body of a latias. 

	"Should we be freaking out?" Mystic asked.

	"Oh, you don't recognize me?" She asked.

	"I do." Carver said. "Latias, part of the eon duo. So your brother must be Latios."

	"Yes, he can't hide like I can, so I'd have to reveal myself eventually. Most people run away or think they're dreaming when they see me. That's why I hid." Latias explained as they entered the ruins. "Hurry, he's right over her." She suddenly dashed forward, moving in a blur again, stopping near an elevated tree that had a large nest built into it. She came down holding a larger blue pokemon that heavily resembled her. She was visibly struggling with his weight, but she pushed herself to get him down. With a pained grunt, she set him down on the cracked white stone path. Behind them was a large fountain, but the water had since run dry. All around them were the remains of a beautiful garden, overgrown with flora. In the center of it was the fountain, and behind that was the tree, massive and ancient. 

	Latios had his eyes shut, and groaned in pain as he was set down. "Lati, what are you doing?" He asked with a hoarse voice. 

	"I found somebody to help you brother. Please, you need help!" She told him. 

	He turned his head and looked at the new arrivals. His eyes opened, and he scowled. His eyes began to glow and a few rocks floated up near them. "Get out!" He growled.

	"Brother, stop!" Latias yelled. "We need them!" 

	He suddenly lifted his head and began coughing loudly. The pebbles around him dropped to the ground. His head fell back and he groaned. "I'm sorry you have to see me like this..." 

	"Stop being so negative!" She shouted. "These people are gonna help us. Right?" She raised her head to look at them. 

	"Of course." Carver said. "Anyone have medical skill?" Nobody volunteered. "That's bad. In that case, I'll take the head. All three of you go find any berries you can. I mean any, I don't care what." Carver stepped forward and gently put his paw on Latios, feeling his breathing from several spots.

	"Didn't you just say no one has medical experiance?" Latias asked him. 

	"I essentially did. I have field skill. I used to be an adventurer after all." 

	"So can I do anything?" She asked.

	"Yes. Help me move him somewhere more comfortable, like that grass over there." He said. 

	Meanwhile, Phantom, Mystic and Ashley all scattered in different directions, leaving the garden in search of berries. As they left, they saw more of the garden. It was a large circle, enclosed by a white stone wall, with a rusty iron fence topping it. Most of the walls and fences were in remarkably good shape, considering the apparent age of the garden. Everything was overgrown with brush and vines, but still standing. There were only four entrances, one in each of the cardinal directions. 

	A short time later, they came back with large amounts of assorted berries, Phantom holding them in the box, and the girls holding them in a basket formed by their tails. They let all the berries spill out onto the floor next to Latios. Carver immediately began to pick through them.

	"Alright, taste these, and tell me which you like best." He slowly lifted each of the berries to Latios' lips. 

	"That one, the sour one." He eventually said. 

	"Alright. Iapapa berries... Eat as many as you can." He picked out as many as he could, putting them in a separate pile. Latias tried to sit up and reach for them, but his strength faltered. Instead, Latias began to feed them to him. 

	"Lati, you don't need to." Latios grunted.

	"Alright, know what Lum berries look like? Pick those and any other condition curing berries out." Carver turned to the dragons. "Is there any running water nearby?" 

	"Yes, let me start the fountain." Latias rose and flew slowly over to the old fountain and started to turn a crank. 

	"LATIAS! STOP NOW!" Latios roared, surprising everyone with the sudden outburst. "You should know better." 

	"But... You're sick. You know how bad it is, we have to do something! Besides, I trust them." She said, continuing to turn with her stubby arms. Eventually water began to flow, quickly filling the basin with fresh, clean water. 

	Carver got up and got two rocks, cleaning them both, before bringing them back. He then used the rocks to crush the gathered berries into a fine paste. "We don't have any bowls... You'll just have to eat it straight. It will taste horrible, but it should help." Carver held up the rock, still with a pile of berry paste on it. 

	Latios grimaced and licked up the concoction. He groaned and stuck out his tongue after wards. "That was foul. Are you sure about this?"

	"The best medicine is like that. Latias, remember these berries. Iapapa." He pointed at the now smaller pile. "Keep feeding him these until he recovers, along with Lum berries, the round green ones. Can you manage to find them on your own?"

	"Yes, I think so. But is that it? He doesn't look much better..."

	"Yes, that's all I can do. Healing is slow. You could go see a doctor, but I don't think you want to be seen in the public."

	"Wow, that's pretty impressive." Ashley complemented him. "Didn't expect you to be so handy." 

	"Excuse me, Latias? Could you tell me what that sparkle is?" Phantom asked. He pointed over to the fountain where something was twinkling in the center of the fountain. 

	"I knew it." Latios growled, trying to get up again. Latias pushed him back down. 

	"It's a special thing called the Soul Dew. Please don't touch it. It is precious beyond measure. It only appears when the water flows, so..." 

	"It's okay. I was just curious." Phantom said. 

	"Guess that's our job." Mystic said. 

	"Wait, are you..." Latias moved to the side to look Mystic in the eyes. "I thought I recognized you. Do you remember a while ago, when you were attacked by a nidoking in this forest? I saved you!" 

	"Uh... Oh yea, thanks." Mystic said, having to think for a moment to remember. 

	"Welcome. So why did you come here?" She asked.

	"Well, we were supposed to find out if there was a rare treasure hidden here."

	"Oh, I understand. Usually no one can approach this place. Between my ability to disguise myself, and brother using his psychic powers, we can drive most anyone off. But as he is now..." 

	"What treasure?" Mystic said with a smile. "We didn't find any treasure." 

	"Thank you so much." Latias said gratefully. 

	"Don't mention it. And we won't either." Carver said with a smirk. 

	"Alright. That wraps up that job. Time to head home." Mystic said. Everyone activated their badges in short order, returning back to their base. "That went pretty well I'd say." She said once they returned. "Phantom and I will go turn this in. You two can stay here. Make dinner or something." She and Phantom then went out the door and to the main base. 

	"Well, she changed her tune. Guess I did a good job today." Carver said proudly. 

	"Yea, you really did. I wasn't too sure about bringing you in before now."Ashley told him. 

	"Way to kill my ego..." He muttered. "Well, for all my skills, making good food is not one of them." 

	"Me neither. We'll just have to improvise." 

+++

	"How?! How do you ruin an apple like this?!" Mystic shouted, sticking her tongue out and raking it with her paws in an attempt to remove the flavor. 

	Phantom experimentally licked one. "Why did you salt them?"

	"Well, salt makes everything better..." Carver said. "I thought." 

	"You are never cooking for us again." Mystic told him. 

	"Does that imply I would have the chance otherwise?"

	"That's a roundabout way to ask." Mystic said. "For the time being, you are a part of Team Memories." She took a deep breath. "Sorry for how harsh I was." She said, sounding forced.

	"It's alright. I deserved it." He said, scraping off a salty apple before eating it. 

	"Yeah, you did."

	He smiled. "I think we're gonna get along just fine."