From Dusk Till Dawn (Pokémon Sun and Moon x Lusamine)

A Flamboyant Faba

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"So...you truly just took Guzma on and held your own?" The man now established as Faba inquired.

"Uh...yes sir," Cobble answered, rubbing his free hand across Rampardos's back. It grumbled warmly in response. Cally slipped a vibrant purple potion into his hand, which he gratefully accepted.

"Hmmm...interesting indeed..." the branch chief mulled over. He grabbed at his beard as though it was some sort of teddy bear, and his eyebrows shot up once the gears in his head stopped turning.

"Mr. Cobble. If you'd accompany me. I will take over as your guide for the time being." He informed, being awfully polite for bashing you earlier. "Though, if you could put away your..."

"Rampardos," Cobble filled in, rubbing along the spine of his creature. "I'll give you extra deserts once we settle in." Rampardos looked aggrieved, finally free of his ball since that rocky boat ride. With a huff, it reluctantly agreed. Before morphing back into the ball, it gave Cobble a death stare that meant he really wanted his Poké puffs.

"Right. Off we are then," Faba instructed, leading the way back to the main elevator. Meanwhile, Sableye had re-perched itself on Cobble's shoulder, the creature acting as a child at a festival, the way it dangled its legs happily. Slightly looking over his shoulder, he saw Cally following behind a few spaces back, looking physically awkward. He tried to reassure her with a small smile and waved her to stand by him.

"He didn't say anything about you not coming," he whispered to her. She snickered lightly, before rubbing her temples and taking on a stern face.

"We'll be heading to floor two now: The Conservation Area," he announced, pressing some buttons on the kiosk. Sableye tried to reach out to grab Faba's giant glasses before Cobble's hand quickly put it back to the beast's side before Faba could notice.

Once the elevator had stopped, Cobble's eyes began to shine with wonderment. A tiny flock of Pikipek flew overhead, chirping happily. Looking around, he could spot different areas for certain Pokémon. There was a rocky outcrop that resembled small mountains that seemed to hold a group of Boldore. A giant forested area was teeming with life, such as bright red Ledyba and Ledian, groups of sandy-tinted Vibrava, Cottonee blissfully floating around, and so many more.

Walking over to a nearby railing, he peered down in the artificial river to see a Feebas staring back at him with lifeless eyes. He could see troves of Magikarp, even seeing Finneon dash through the glassy water. A Goldeen also said its hello, jumping up into the air before splashing back into the water gracefully.

The pearly white pathway that Faba led Cobble and his accomplice down branched off into different habitats, each for their specified Pokémon. Cobble sighted a sandy, dune-like area which housed a trio of Sandile, along with other creatures that hid underneath. Gigantic palm trees swayed, acting as the periphery to the entirety of the conservation area. He swore he could see a derpy face on one of the coconuts the trees bore.

"As you can see, we have a wide variety of Pokémon here that are currently being rehabilitated. Once healthy, they are returned to their original homes," Faba explained, once or twice looking back at Cobble's ever-curving smile. He seemed content with his work, smiling almost smugly the rest of the way.

Seemingly doing the final rounds around the different areas, they came around to a sector that was differentiated from the rest. The fences had post caps that shined like pure gold, curved in a way that reminded him of a fancy upside-down wedding dress. Somewhat like a gas funnel really.

Gas funnel. Two simple words: yet it seemed to crack open memories that Cobble really didn't need to be dredged up right now. A soft paradisiacal chuckle as warm as summer danced through his ears, gripping his heart with an iron grasp.