My guide was quick to lead me and a few of my pokemon towards the altercation, not that I needed their direction upon exiting my tent.
"Death to the thief!" "False Overlord!" "Bastard!" "Coward!" "Egg thief!"
A few chants stuck out to me as I was led through the ensemble of tents towards where the shouting and where the fires were being waved back and forth.
When I entered the space before the tents, I found several ninja standing around the tent with their pokemon out, creating a cordon while what looked like a small mob of tribesmen were circling the tent.
They and their pokemon would have moved like mightyena circling a lone Tauros, if it wasn't for the fact that some of them were stumbling and slurring.
Their anger was real, but their bravery… that was coming from a bottle and making them more idiotic for it.
I spotted a trio of familiar Tyranitar standing… sheepishly behind three tribesmen, one woman and two men who had no signs of drunkenness to their actions, and they stood firm in front of the ninja.
Seeing Tyranitar act like that struck me as deeply wrong… For them to be acting like that.
Well, I had a very good idea of what had happened to them but true understanding… I couldn't claim that.
I glanced around and noticed that Noland was nearby, watching with his arms crossed over but making no move to stop the lynching playing out.
I grimaced, knowing I couldn't really count on him for this as a foreign trainer.
While he'd been a good host and a nice enough guy, his own nation's needs might tie his hands. There was also the bias that he'd have fought off Crusher Tribesman in the past.
"Death to the False Overlord!" roared one woman as she staggered forward only to drop her bottle of moonshine. It split and spoured everywhere, and I hissed.
It didn't take a genius to know that that sort of high proof alcohol, and all the torches being waved around, was a recipe for disaster.
I stepped forward and drew on what I had from my reserves while borrowing from my pokemon.
A dark mountain rose, and suddenly the chanting and shouting died in its shadow.
"Enough!" I declared sternly.
"I wished to handle this tomorrow but I see I must address this now. The Former Overlord and his… brothers, will be mine to handle. Until I make a ruling, none shall harm them!" I declared, my gaze sweeping the crowd and making a note of those who stared back defiantly.
Thankfully, there were only three in the crowd, and all of them stood next to the formerly stolen Tyranitars.
"He must answer for stealing our pokemon! The woman growled. "I still can't recall my partner! My bond is broken!" she screamed.
Rather than ignore her, I nodded. "You are correct. Your bond is broken, but I have a solution for that."
Before I could stop to question if it was wise, I drew out the six Capture balls I'd taken from Granite and toggled the return switch on each.
Three of them responded by drawing back the Tyranitars.
A hiss of surprise erupted from the crowd as they lurched away from me.
The trio of trainers whose pokemon I'd just recalled looked horrified, like I'd just slaughtered their pokemon in front of them.
Before they could react, I toggled the switches again and returned the pokemon, who blinked at the sudden release-recall sequence.
Then I tossed Regirock one of the balls. "Crush this," I ordered, knowing that if it stood up to Regirock's strength, then nothing I could do would be—
A sharp snapping noise heralded the destruction of the first Capture ball. I tossed the next to him and then the next.
"Throw the scraps," I asked, gesturing towards the trio of stunned trainers.
The remnants of the balls clattered onto the ground before them and I locked eyes with them, pleased to see the fight now well and truly gone from their eyes.
"I must apologise for taking your pokemon away, but I needed to know which balls correlated to which of your pokemon. Now try and recall your partners," I suggested.
The trio blinked once at me before lifting their necklaces to reveal pokeballs causing me to smile. Heh, just like me, I thought.
Everyone held their breaths as the trainers toggled the recall feature.
Red beams shot forth and impacted the Tyranitar who turned into red energy and faded into the pokeballs.
Their chorused exhale of relief caused a small gout of wind to billow through the area, and I nodded, happy to have dealt with that particular issue.
Lance was going to be pissed that I'd destroyed three of the capture balls, and probably returned three powerful pokemon to people whose allegiance might cause me issues, but I decided right now it wasn't worth my worry. If push came to shove I'd beat them into the ground but I doubted they'd challenge me after I'd returned their—
"I challenge you!" cried the woman causing me to twitch in surprise.
"You ungra—" I started to growl only for her to kneel and cut me off. "I concede," she offered before I could do much.
That… "Huh?" I replied dumbly. What just happened?
The other two men blinked in surprise, only to share a look and step forward and repeat the 'I challenge you, I concede' routine.
I was left staring at the trio as they knelt before me. I rubbed my forehead. "... I have no idea what to make of this. It's late, I'm tired from chasing after Sabrina, then beating the shit out of Granite and his brothers, and now… this…" I waved a hand and sighed.
"They're submission to you means that none can challenge you for the title of Overlord for many months now," called a familiar voice.
I turned and glowered at Jade.
One thing that hadn't escaped my notice was how only four people had known about Granite's pokemon theft with the capture balls.
Lance sure as hell wouldn't have said anything, and Sabrina and I were accounted for.
Which meant Jade had been the weakest link.
So, I'd reinstated a woman who apparently was something of the local gossip. Which meant that anything we'd spoken about had likely already been spread around.
Urgh. This is why playing politics in a place that you didn't know all the players was a bad idea. I was going to have to either play nice or ride roughshod.
"You disappoint me greatly Jade," I stated, deciding to speak my mind and make sure there could be no doubt in my mind as to how I saw her right now.
While I didn't bring up my dark mountain again just to flex on her I did pulse some darkness through my body to show my annoyance.
She opened her mouth, and I raised a hand.
"I spoke to you about the issue regarding Granite and his brothers. Now I have been roused from my bed to handle a mob trying to take justice. My estimate of the Crusher Tribe plummets with this." My gaze nailed her in place.
"You had your part to play in this. I thought wisdom was what you were offering, but it seems to be poison." I indicated the mob that was watching on.
"I can read men well enough to know you would have come," she growled. "And I could not lie to the Tyranitar bearers of our tribe! They are central pillars!" her fists clenched.
I wanted to click my tongue in annoyance. Were these more cultural issues? Miscommunication and misunderstandings that compounded? Or was this just one woman's pride?
I glanced at the trio that was still kneeling to me. Urgh! I was out of my depth here. Lance, Lorelei, or Sabrina should have been here to deal with this!
With no clear path to follow I decided to stick with my gut and forge ahead by expressing my anger. "And you were willing to risk our impression of the Crusher Tribe on that? You can be sure that not just I, but that of Indigo are watching now."
I shook my head in disgust. "Leave my sight for now. I will consider how to deal with you tomorrow."
Jade blinked in shock and opened her mouth only to clamp it shut and bow before marching away. That was perhaps the wisest course of action for her.
Turning to the crowd, I swept my gaze about the people and pokemon still watching me. "All of you! Get to bed or be about your duties lest I start finding jobs for you all!" I snapped.
The crowd dispersed, and I sighed explosively.
Turning to the side, I found the woman who had led me here bowing from her hips. "Overlord, please don't recant your decision for the Feather Faction! Our Elder's mistake was grave but we—"
"No," I stated, holding up a hand. "I'm not ruling on that until tomorrow," I grunted.
Before I could turn back to my tent and bed a cough had me groaning.
"Sir Brock, thank you for intervening. We hadn't expected them to be so… violent but with what you revealed to us just now… it explains much," announced the lead ninja.
I turned back to them only to notice how they looked as tired as I felt.
"Has anyone spoken with Granite or his brothers?" I asked.
The ninja before me shook his head. "No sir. They have been healed, and bound with their pokemon taken off them along with a… mild sedative to make it harder for them to escape, but they haven't attempted anything… yet."
The ninja waved a hand to two tents to the side. "The brothers are in those tents and we have Zubat hanging in the rafters should they attempt anything."
I didn't like the sound of that at all.
Glancing around and noting that there were still people observing me I stepped closer to the ninja. "Where is Agatha?" I asked.
The ninja glanced to the side where a shadow rested, and I pursed my lips. Was she waiting for them to attempt to escape before coming down on them hard, or was something else going on?
I spared a glance over my shoulder where my tent and sleeping bag was. Sabrina was no doubt nestled in comfortably, and I was envying her greatly right now.
Could I just leave this to Agatha though?
These people… they looked a lot like my family, and it was… I wasn't even sure what to call it.
"I'm going to talk to them," I announced, making a gesture towards the tent. Action would be better than sitting back right now. No matter how much my body wanted elsewise, I knew my mind well enough to know I wouldn't be able to rest if I left this issue unaddressed.
The ninja shared a look. "Sir?" one asked.
I rubbed my forehead. "I just want to get this done and dusted. He might not answer me right away, but I need to make an attempt to at least let my mind rest." I waved a hand at the trio. "Can you rest now that the mob is dispersed?" I asked, and they nodded slowly.
"You wish… us to step away for a moment as it were?" asked on with an odd inflection.
"Sure," I replied tiredly.
The ninja shared another look only to nod and step away from the tent.
I stepped through the tent flap, and it was only as I began looking over the sparsely furnished tent that understanding twinged. Ah… they thought I was asking for deniability with them 'stepping away' so I could do things to Granite.
Locking eyes with Granite, I found myself looking in an odd mirror.
Granite… looked a lot like me.
And I honestly hated him a bit for that.
Brown hair which sat messily atop his head but where I was clean shaven, he had a thin moustache on his top lip that curled up as he sneered at me.
But I wanted to punch him again.
Annnnnd just like that I knew I had even more to discuss with my therapist. I rubbed my forehead and sighed.
"Don't," I barked when he opened his mouth to no doubt spit something vile my way.
I sat and laced my fingers together in front of me before sighing long and deep.
When I spoke, I didn't speak to Granite but rather to the shadows.
"Agatha, want to play bad cop bad cop?" I suggested only for a cackle to emerge ahead of Agatha as she stepped out of the shadows.
"Ahahaha! Oh Brock! You have Darkness in you but not the right sort for this!" she gushed with a grin so wide her face stretched.
Granite flinched backwards. "Ghost! Only dead people should be able to do that!"
Agatha turned to him, a glint in her eyes. "Oh? You know something of death boy?" It was rather unsettling when a giggle emerged from the shadows rather than her mouth and eyes stared outwards.
"Agatha," I said firmly, reminding her that I was here and cutting in on her games.
"Yes Brock?" she asked.
"I'm not sure if I can be… good to this man," I stated quietly as I held my hands together lest I form a fist and begin clubbing him.
Agatha turned, surprised at my confession and tone.
"Oh?"
Our gazes locked and rather than conflict I tried to convey understanding.
"It doesn't take much thought… Granite is a simple man with simple urges." I nodded towards him. "Young, powerful, and unmatched…" I jerked my head towards the flap behind me. "The people here. They are my family… The resemblance is too strong to be anything else. Granite… you've hurt people that should be… our family." It hurts to admit it, but even the villain in this story is related to me, which… I'm not quite sure what to make of that revelation.
"It was owed to me as Overlord!" he spat.
Rather than rage I watched him, a cold calculus taking place in my mind. "Hmmm but you couldn't do it alone. You needed both your brothers… and outsiders help, no?"
Leaning forward I asked, "Where did you meet the outsiders who gave you these capture balls?" I asked.
"Ha! Like I'd tell you anything!" he bit back at me.
Again, I didn't get upset. I sat there, watching him. "Did you get them or promise them anything for what they offered?" I continued.
"I'm not saying shit to you! You should be branded a rebel and banished! Not lauded like some hero of old! You are a poison that will only weaken our people!"
"I'm afraid the weakness started well before me Granite. Were you going to meet with your outside supporters again?"
"Go to the graveyard with your questions you piece of—"
My hand snapped forward and cut him off as I grabbed him by the throat and held him firm. "Last chance before I stop asking questions for the night. How many women did you force yourself upon?"
Agatha blinked in surprise at that question, only for her gaze to harden when a dark chuckle emerged from Granite.
My fingers twitched, and the chuckle cut off suddenly as fear entered his gaze.
How strange to see it on a face so like my own…
I shook my head and resisted the urge to crush his throat.
"He's all yours Agatha," I declared as I stood, drawing my hand away from him.
Granite drew in a few quick breaths and glared at my back. "Like I thought, a coward!" he snapped.
"No, merely one that knows when to bow his head to someone with more experience. Agatha might not have said it, but I was your best hope of keeping things…" I considered how best to phrase this before smiling darkly, "gentle," I finished.
Then I slipped outside and took a seat in front of the tent.
It didn't take much consideration for me to know what a young man with power might have done when he found himself with no checks of balance to his rule.
And sometimes the people you were the worst to were your family.
I sat watching the waxing gibbous moon. There was going to be a glorious full moon in the coming weeks ,I could tell. I inhaled and exhaled, enjoying the slight burn on my lungs that came alongside the mist of my breath frosting in the colder air.
It took an hour before Agatha stepped out of the tent primly, her shadows reaching out to adjust her shawl and scarf to keep her warm.
In another setting it might have been like a mother worrying about a child.
Seeing ghosts do it however made me wonder at the metaphor.
Then again, it wasn't like ghosts didn't have emotions just like any other pokemon.
They just tended to darker emotions.
"So?" I asked, leadingly gesturing to a seat by the fire that I'd been occasionally feeding over the past hour.
"You should be in bed Brock," Agatha suggested, her gaze oddly soft for a woman who had probably just unleashed nightmares, literal and imagined, upon Granite.
"I just want this to be done. It might be important to handle this now in case we need to act on it fast," I replied.
"No concerns there… well apart from my perhaps approaching some girls of the tribe, but I don't think you want me to talk about that, do you?"
My hands clenched together, and I reconsidered dragging Granite out and resummoning the mob.
This time, I'd join them in beating the shit out of him instead of standing in their way.
"Probably for the best, while clenching and unclenching my fist and letting out a huff" I replied blandly.
Agatha huffed and patted me on the hand. "You're doing well Brock. I'll handle it."
It was a strange feeling to have relief sweeping through me over something that Agatha of all people had said, but then again, she could be gentle when it was required of her. I almost pointed out that if she had been more like this, she might have won Oak's heart, but I knew better than to say that to her.
Instead, I made a rolling gesture. "So, the capture balls and the Team Rocket Link?" I asked.
"There is a link but it is old, and the meetings were never at Granite's control. It always occurred when he was out on a hunt or acting as a forward scout for the tribe's movements," Agatha answered with pursed lips.
"So it seems that Team Rocket has been aware of this group for some time… none of which appeared in their files that were taken from them during the raids we conducted."
"Which doesn't mean much as there are possibilities that it could have been information that was deleted to secure the information, or it might have only existed with the current splinter cell that…" I tilted my head. "We have no leads on?"
"No, they are worse than ghost pokemon but that is not a surprise after how we bloodied their noses last year," Agatha gushes. "Once bitten, twice shy no?"
That got a nod from me. "Yesh. It's a shame that they're going to be harder to nail down going forward. Any way we can find them? Blaine has to be one of their leading minds no?"
"Hmph, do not underestimate that man," she warned. "He stood next to Samuel and I as the strongest of Kanto!" she eyed me. "For all your recent feats are impressive, do not forget that he is an old man from a different time. He had to claw his way to the top and fight to stay there, not for prestige or learning, but for survival and he thrived in that setting!"
"I'll make sure to call for support if I ever encounter him," I replied seriously.
Agatha eyed me critically, checking to see if I was mocking her or lying before slowly nodding her head. "See that you do." she rose. "I will check with this brute's brothers to check for any further information, but I doubt I will find anything more. Go to sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day. I'll handle this."
I was all too glad to rise from my seat and make for my bed.
I slid into the sleeping bag, curled an arm around Sabrina, and fell asleep.
___________________
Empress stared at her surroundings.
She had given up on ever seeing the tents of her first family. Not with how they'd been driven from the mountain that she made her nest upon.
Now here she stood, stalking like a shadow through the night, forget smells rousing themselves as people made sweet bread. Mashed berries into the morning juice, or sang songs that made her feel like a new hatchling rather than a pokemon of her advanced years.
The smells, the scents, and the sounds… they'd all come rushing back as Brock, her new human, had charged the camp.
She'd stood with him at the start only to be taken by surprise at what she found before herself.
Despite her human's rage-driven state, he'd still, on some level, been aware of her pulling back and becoming… unable to raise more than a token effort against… her people.
Brock and her son had battled the Lord of the tribe and risen high as was their right.
It was a good thing. She could smell the wrongness to that man as Brock clashed with him.
His rot had seeped into the tribe and made them… less than they should have been.
There should have been songs, and dancing, and feasts aplenty but instead there had been a quiet withdrawal with Brock taking control.
Perhaps that was due to the Dragon tamer arriving as he did followed by the Articuno.
Empress recalled a certain song about the icy flows… she tried to rumble it out only to grimace.
How did that song go?
She growled a little only to shake her head in frustration.
"Ho? Are you trying to sing the Misty mountain song?" called a woman's voice.
Empress glanced to her right and found herself in front of the wide firepit and colourful tent of what could only be the shaman's tent.
At least, that was what they had been called when she was a hatchling. Around the firepit several women sat with various ages. One had blankets bundled around her while another sat close like a nesting mother. The last one stared at Empress with miss matching eyes. She bore the markings of the lead singer from what Empress could recall of her youth.
"Yes… I know it and that was the song," rumbled Empress, giving a small nod.
"Hoooooo! I wasn't expecting the new Overlord's pokemon to know that song!" cried the girl. Or perhaps it was a woman? Empress found most humans rather small, puny things.
"Of course I know it!" she bit out in reproach, not liking the girl's tone.
The woman raised her hands and bobbed her head causing the beads in her hair to clatter about. "Sorry Sorry! I should know better than to tug on a Tyranitar's tail but to be fair it's been a few months since one wandered the camp now. Here, let me make amends by singing that song," offered the girl.
Empress considered her for a second only to sit back and cause a small shaking of the earth as she came to rest. "Go ahead," she grunted in acceptance.
The woman smiled, took a breath, and then sang a song straight from the depths of Empress' memory.
"Beware, beware…
Of the mountain in the south,
Where the mist curls low
Frost spews from its mouth.
There's a bird that wakes the winter
With the beating of its wings—
And the cold it—"
The rest of the song washed over Empress as she found herself smiling and humming along. Words and tunes that she'd forgotten.
By the time the song finished there were a few heads peeking out from nearby tents, drawn by the woman's wonderful voice despite it being so early the sun had not yet risen.
"Then in the south?" asked the girl wrapped in the blankets. "You've never given warnings for that mountain before Glimmer," complained the girl.
The singer shook her head. "Aye, no, it's not that the mountain in question is in the south but far, far to the south. The song was first written night on fifteen generations ago Ruby, so this was a time when we roamed the lands far, far to the south. So far south apparently that we encountered a bird of Legend."
The woman nodded to the side. "Like that bird that Fiorian came in with. That's no simple flying type, I can assure you. If it feels threatened we'll find ourselves in the thick of winter worse than any felt in generations."
Her gaze swept around. "So we all best play nice, hmmm?"
Empress snorted in contempt. If it came down to it, she, her son, or his mate would see to the bird easily enough.
Her dismissive snort drew the woman's gaze and she tilted her head like Zephyr would have, all wide eyes and curiosity.
Empress snorted and considered her before demanding another song by growling the refrain for the next beat. This one was no warning but instead a lively summer time dance that her… first human had danced to.
The trio of singers all brightened and the girl in her blankets, Ruby, beamed. "I know that one! It's the bright summer dance! I can sing that one!" for some reason her face shifted into an ugly expression as her eyes turned down to her lap.
'Glimmer' stood. "And I shall dance it for you!"
Ruby perked back up and Empress bobbed along at the song from her childhood. She thought it rather odd that the girl didn't sing and dance the song herself, but perhaps times had changed?
She didn't question it, she simply enjoyed herself, demanding various songs for the next few hours until the sun began to rise. The other blanket girl had begged off while glimmer remained, singing and dancing for Empress' entertainment, and then that of Bertha and some of the other pokemon when they discovered where Empress was.
Bertha clapped along giddily and when Glimmer stood to show Bertha how to dance properly Empress rose to show her son's mate the proper forms of dancing that she could just barely recall.
When her son finally stalked into the small clearing he found her and Bertha dancing while the woman sang and twirled between them without a care for potentially being crushed.
Titan stepped forward and joined them, and for some reason that… mattered to Empress.
She wasn't sure why, but it just did.
When the song ended Bertha flopped on the ground and panted in exaggeration.
"That was great! But I need a break! I'm used to fighting, not dancing!" she cried.
Empress gave her a dismissive snort. "Weak," she declared even as she had to steady her own breathing.
Surprisingly only the woman who'd been singing the songs remained unaffected. If anything she seemed more radiant and alive than she had before.
"My my! You are some fun pokemon aren't you? You just jump right into it! Ha! I like that!" Glimmer proclaimed. She glanced around. "Hmmm, but I don't see any of the High Lady's pokemon? Hmmm that just won't do. I'll have to tweak her nose for that! Too stiff by half!"
Bertha sat up. "Sabrina isn't stiff! She's fun!" She defended valiantly. "And strong!"
Glimmer nodded. "I have no clue what you're saying!" she declared. "Now I think I need to rouse the other singers for their morning practice. There's lots to do today!"
This announcement was followed by the sound of someone screaming in horror like they'd just awoken to a nightmare.
Titan and Bertha snapped to attention only for Link, Brock's clefable to giggle in glee. "I think Brock's prank just woke up!"
Empress tilted her head in confusion before shaking her head. She had no idea what he meant by that, but she decided she didn't care.
That was until Bertha and Titan told her what their human had done and she laughed along with the rest.
It felt good to be back among her people, and once more, she found herself recalling a small boy approaching her and asking for her son's egg.
She'd been right not to crush him back then. The smells she'd picked up had been right and not just wishful thinking on her behalf.
After an age alone, she was once more home.
_______________
A.N. Thanks go to my patreons for your support!
Those who'd been looking for it noted that Empress appeared and then promptly vanished from the fight with Granite.
Well spotted. She got caught in a memory trap and was one of the factors cooling Brock's anger as while she supplied him energy when he asked for it, she also recognised her people and wanted them to be safe.
Now she's back with her hatchling days people which is certainly a blast from the past for her.
Also Glimmers, as she is known short hand, does know the normal verbal tics of a Tyranitar which is why she knows what Empress says, but not Bertha, who's a new pokemon to her.
Thanks also go to Twmmy for proofreading this chapter!