Pokémon: Out of the Woods | A Galar, Unova & Sinnoh Fanfiction

Chapter 76: The Monster

The heavy door slammed shut behind Arlene. When the Grunts finally hammered on the door themselves, Jahzeel bellowed at them to be gone. He poured a cup of tea for his guest. She took one of the plush velvet seats at his golden tea table. It was a truly regal room, as was the beautifully tiled bathroom and the bedroom with its four-poster bed. There were four people in the gold-framed paintings on the wall: Pluto, Ghetsis, Caroline and Jahzeel himself. Valuable historical artifacts gleamed in glass cabinets. Jahzeel also had several stuffed heads of hunted rare Pokémon, but he kept them in his bedroom, where Pluto wouldn't see them. He would probably be disgusted.

Pluto's suites weren't that luxurious. They used to be, but his Pokémon damaged everything. He didn't care for any of it himself. Though he took his shoes off to enter, he never even seemed to notice the mud flaking off his clothes onto the ornate rugs. He let his Pokémon play with his dirty football there. He even trod the dirt in. So Jahzeel confiscated everything that could be moved and split it between himself and Caroline. Her suites were equally fancy, but she didn't care, either. She didn't even bother taking off her boots. As for Volo and Victor's killer, they never had such luxurious quarters to begin with. Jahzeel didn't want them to get ideas above their stations, although they arguably did regardless...

Even the teapot was delicately engraved. The tea and biscuits were of the finest quality. Jahzeel opened several more packets of biscuits for Arlene's Pokémon.

See... he wants the best for us really... it's just that he's really passionate... and he'll do literally anything for his king... but that girl wouldn't care about our dreams...

'So, Arlene, my fellow faithful servant of our king... what can I do for you?'

'S-Sir... tonight... Lord Pluto called us all to the Peak Camp... and... told us to look for Wishing Stars... to keep them from Team Plasma... because that girl told him to.'

'"That girl?"'

'The one who killed Victor... Heather Haider... Garnet Qadir... whatever her name is...'

'Ah, I see. Her real name is indeed Heather Haider. It was covered up by her criminal father, James Hawthorn Fayed Joyner-Massey, also known as GoD... but she was one of Cipher's Snaggers.'

That was a blatant lie, but Arlene believed it. Conning these brainwashed youngsters was satisfyingly easy.

'Really?!'

'Indeed. I suspect she did kill Victor. Now her father is here, disguised as a Gharabian man named Rasil, to aid her. They clearly hope to blame Team Plasma, but of course, we would never do such a thing.'

'I thought so... but... I think she's convinced Lord Pluto it was us...'

'That is regrettable indeed. Lord Pluto must return to the castle, where he will be safe, as soon as possible.'

'Yeah...'

'That family is dangerous. They even framed your venerable grandfather, Ardos.'

'But my dad is a piece of shit... and... Lord Pluto hated Ardos anyway...'

'That is sadly true. These blemishes on Ardos' legacy are unfortunate, but there is no point in worrying about something we cannot change. As long as Lord Pluto believes in Team Plasma, our new, fair, ideal world will be realised.'

'Yeah...'

'As for the Wishing Stars... I have no idea what they would be used for. I will look into it. Thank you for your report. Please do feel free to report any further concerns directly to myself or Caroline.'