Snowpoint City

"Why didn't the girl say anything about it? Wouldn't she have ruined you on that day alone? Maybe your trainer did know but understood intentions and wasn't angry? T-There's a lot of things... Either way, when we bring this rotten Haunter to justice, you won't have to worry anymore! Ako has a shadow ball he can choke on."

Shirako looked down as she spoke her next couple lines.

"Ako completely understands how easily something like that can happen... Ako forgets how strong we really are to humans sometimes and the thoughts do go through her head. T-Today was the first time she ever acted on them. It's nothing compared to your story though. That is scary, and ample reason for blackmail..."

The Eevee went silent for a bit, thinking about Pitch and where he could be. Where could Vintrell take him? Where WOULD he take him is the better question. He couldn't be wild, Haunter don't live up here. Could he be a trainer's Pokemon like Ako? If that's the case, he may have taken Pitch to a house. Humans left the area due to the storm so it would be free shelter for them... But if he is fully like Ako and is separated then Pitch could be anywhere from stuck in the forest to hidden in a random den or even the cave at the lake...

"Bubba... Are there any other trainers left? Haunters aren't from around here, not even close. He would have to have been a trainer's Pokemon, right? If he is, then we should check the houses tomorrow for him. Maybe we'll find Vintrell too and we can take him out. If everybody's left, what can he say? He can't speak to humans directly anyway. Um... Also... Ako apologizes for hurting you and breaking the staircase. Are you ok?"

"Y...You're throwing a lot of questions at me right now," Bubba grumpily replied, clutching his head, "Just give me a moment to clear my mind."

It was a this point that Kyla the Glaceon glanced back towards the Eevee, "We heard the report of a girl being attacked by an Abomasnow, but everyone assumed it was a wild one. We didn't know it was Bubba until...well, until he told us what happened and why these nasty-looking Pokemon kept showing up at our door."

"Yeah," Leila the Froslass put a soothing hand on Ako's head, very light to touch, "Then he had to tell us, at least. Are you okay, though? How's your head?"

"Oh, Ako is sorry for asking a lot of things. And yes, Ako is feeling better, thank you, Leila. Ako is sorry for the trouble she has caused everybody, especially you, Bubba. From the moment she met you, she was causing trouble... In the future, if Ako finds a way, she will make it up to you! Tailwrap promise!"

She said it so naturally but when she said it she felt like nobody will get what she meant. She was so used to it because she would share little secrets with Ai and wrap her tail tip around the girl's finger and shake. It was their special thing. Maybe she should exlplain it...

"T-That's like a pinky promise. It's childish but it is something Ako always did with her trainer when they would share secrets and stuff."

Kyla trotted over and sat down by Ako's side, sliding her Glaceon tail underneath hers and wrapping around it.

"I think it's a sweet sentiment," she said.

Bubba didn't look Ako's way, but he did lower his head, clutching his forehead in between his palms.

"Well..." Kyla broke the silence that followed, "Michael doesn't usually get up until late morning...and since he was woken up in the middle of the night, it'll probably be even later. We should probably focus on figuring out where to search for your friend."

At that moment, they heard a door creak open. The way that Kyla, Leila, and Bubba turned to face indicated it was the front door that had opened. And their looks of fear and resentment would tell Ako that it wasn't anyone they wanted to see.

Kyla and Leila stepped in front of Ako as a familiar-looking Sneasel entered the room, that sneer crossing his face ever so smugly.

"Ah, good morning!" SteelClaw announced his presence into the room, "I take it all of you slept well?"

His voice wasn't so loud as to wake up the humans upstairs, but loud enough to wake up almost everyone else. Susie the Chatot blinked her eyes open to see who it was and immediately looked away. Kip the Floatzel hazily came to, finding his way to his feet. Gourge stirred for a moment before continuing his sleep.

Kyla let a low growl slip through as she bore teeth, "Aren't you and your vandals supposed to be sleeping?"

"Depending on the day, sure..." SteelClaw spoke cleanly, though there was a tinge of bitterness on his tongue as he continued, "But given what happened last night, this visit had to happen sooner rather than later."

"Though I must say..." he raked a claw on his chin, "I'm not used to seeing you all out and about this time of morning, either. Nor did I expect you of all Pokemon to speak first." He faced Kyla with a dark look in his eye, "Considering I'm only here to talk to Bubba and not you, I wouldn't speak out of turn again...unless you want him to be gone. I will have no problem telling Vintrell you all were insubordinate. He's already unhappy."

Kyla had to bite back a second growl from slipping, remaining silent at this. No one else spoke.

"Good. Now..." he stepped in between the two, laying his eyes on Ako for the first time, "I thought there were two of you I'm supposed to be taking today. You're not hiding the Mudkip from me, are you Bubba?"

This bit of news turned some heads, Kip and Kyla especially giving surprised looks at the Abomasnow. But Bubba didn't even turn around, "He escaped. There wasn't anything I could do."

SteelClaw tsked, "And still you continue to waste Vintrell's time and resources. I see. Shameful. Maybe you don't want to stay with your trainer after all." He let the threat hang dangerously in front of his ear. Bubba didn't even move, much less respond.

"Hmm..." the Sneasel looked at him in mocking disdain before continuing, "In any case, you'll be hearing from Vintrell soon enough. He'll tell you what you'll have to do to make up for these...little 'incidents' you keep having. For now..."

He was now taking steps towards the Eevee in the center of the room, "I suppose you will have do. He'll be most excited to see you anyway. So...are you going to come quietly or do we have to drag you out of here forcefully?"

That line was more than a threat, as he already began Honing his Claws, letting them gleam in the orange light of the morning sun.

We? So he's not alone. What are they gonna do? Brazenly charge in here for a single Eevee? No, they send the little messenger instead if there is a group.

"Bubba isn't hiding him. Ako made sure the Mudkip got away, so leave Bubba alone! And your threats don't scare Ako, and neither do the others you came with."

Ako was tensed up, fur standing up and everything. Unlike Kyla who held back her growling, Shirako held nothing back as she growled and stared right into the Sneasel's eyes. The trainers only recently went to sleep, they likely aren't fully under. She could wake them if she screamed loud enough. Only if it gets to that point...

"What do you want with Pitch and Ako? And where is Pitch?"

The Sneasel merely snickered at Ako's full-blown anger, "Hohooooooh! I see what my subordinates mean when they said you were the feisty one! And I'm sure you'd love to find out what we have in store for you. But you've gotta come with me to find out, now don't ya?"

His claws motioned in the Eevee's direction, beckoning her to him, "I mean...you do want to see Pitch again, don't ya? There's only one way to find that out and that's through us. I mean..." he scraped his claws together, creating a violent screeching noise that permeated through the room, "You don't want anything to happen to him, do ya?"

"The more you speak, the more Ako wants to use you as a chew toy. Anyway, Ako wants to see her partner first! She'll take your demands at face value then."

The Eevee stood her ground despite the threat. They're going to hurt him either way and what good will it do if she goes with them now and gets captured. Nothing. At least this way she can work something, anything, out. Maybe. She also really wants to see him, to see he is at least safe. She told that Minun and Plusle that she would take care of Pitch and well... not the best role model now, is she?

"Meet Ako in the center of town in an hour. Bring Pitch and from there she will listen to what you have to say."

SteelClaw snorted at Ako's threat and merely raised a brow at her request. His smug grin was ever present and degrading as she stood her ground and made her proposition. Bubba tilted his head slightly but didn't look her way. The rest of Michael's team gawked at her, all with the same look: impressed with her pride, but an empty feeling backing it...a feeling of dread. There wasn't much hope to be felt behind the Eevee's defiant words.

When she was done talking, the room was slowly filled with the narcissistic laughter of the Sneasel, constantly fiddling with his clawed fingers, gazing upon them casually. When he spoke, he didn't sound the least bit intimidated.

"You really think you're in a position to make demands in return? Ha! You don't even have the faintest bargaining chip against me. You're outnumbered here, sweetie. Because even if you think you can take care of me, you'll still have to deal with Bubba over here. And I know for a fact that you can't defeat him."

He started taking slow, practiced steps towards Ako, Honing his Claws again.

"Besides, that wasn't a request. I wasn't asking kindly if you could come with me. I'm telling you that you are going to come with me. I was offering you a chance to come quietly and without any further pain to your friend. And if you think I care about the human that lives upstairs...I don't. I will tear this house to shreds if it means I'm dragging you out of it."

At that moment, his forward momentum stopped. SteelClaw blinked once, the look of confusion spreading on his face. He turned back around to find Bubba had grabbed his arm. Before anything else, the Abomasnow effortlessly tugged his arm back, sending the Sneasel into the back wall. He growled and shook his head, but by the time he could find his footing, Bubba was standing in between him and Ako.

"No you won't," he stated flatly, "Not this time."

Susie audibly gasped. Kip and Kyla tensed up. Leila hovered close to the Eevee, eyes locked on the Abomasnow.

"Y-..." SteelClaw's fury was written across his face, "You...Vintrell will hear about this-"

"And?" Bubba cocked his head to the right, "Vintrell's already gonna punish me anyway. What do I have to lose?"

"Y-" the Sneasel took a moment to regain his composure, managing a half-sneer in an exasperated tone, "You have everything to gain from this. You know I can put in a good word for you. You hand her over to me and I can assure you there will be no further action from Vintrell on what happened last night."

Bubba had to look down, his gaze passing to the floor in self-reflection...or maybe it was self-realization? It took a second for the Abomasnow to speak his rebuttle.

"Smoke and mirrors...that's all you are..." he said in resignation, "It just took me too long to realize..."

He passed a side glance towards Ako before continuing.

"I don't think I can trust that offer. In fact, I don't think I can trust you, period. All you are is talk. You've got no bite to match, other than the support of your leader you bow down to so that he can shower you with fancy trinkets. You have no real power of your own. You just bullshit your way through every single problem. That's why Vintrell keeps you around...because why use force, manpower, and resources when you can use scare tactics and fear? I bet you even had the balls to come here alone...because you were just that confident you could manipulate me."

"Not even close!" the Sneasel protested, "I've got tons of back-up waiting outside. Just like last night."

"Yeah? Then bring them in here. Let's see 'em then."

"I-" the Sneasel blinked, caught off guard from that response. In that split second, he became completely vulnerable...completely visible. It was as if the veil was unleashed and they could peer into his mind.

But he pressed on anyway, "I won't even need them. I can deal with you myself."

"Oh can ya now?" Now it was the Abomasnow that held all the confidence, "Thing is, I simply don't believe ya anymore. So come at me. You say you'll tear this place apart if it means dragging her out of here. Well I bet I can toss you out that front door without you leaving a scratch."

Bubba took a huge step forward, letting his size enshroud the Sneasel. There was an aura shift now. The once mighty Sneasel now looked small compared to everyone else around them. Kyla let her low growl slip through again. Kip balled his fists. Susie merely glared from her perch. And Bubba looked the least bit concerned, cracking his knuckles as he pounded a fist in his palm. There was a steely glint in everyone's eyes. They were all hungry for justice.

SteelClaw's eyes darted around to everyone, more anger and hatred furrowing his brow with every second. But this time, there was no intimidation. It was all out of fear and hopelessness.

"It seems you're the one who's outnumbered here," Bubba said triumphantly.

"Don't think you've won yet," SteelClaw spat angrily, "I'm coming back for all your heads."

And then the Sneasel ran, sprinting to the left, out of the living room and through the front door, slamming it shut behind him. No one bothered to give chase.

Kyla rubbed her head against Bubba's arm, "Took ya long enough."

Susie was still hopping around nervously, "What's gonna happen now? Vintrell's gonna run you out of town! And then we're never gonna see you again! I don't want that to happen!"

"It'll be fine, Susie," Bubba spoke calmly, "We'll figure it out."

Shirako winced a little when Steelclaw was laughing but still held her ground and bounced back a little. She knew he wouldn't listen and was prepared for it. She was hoping for that off-chance. That one little ray of hope that he would listen. Her confidence wasn't meant to inspire others but more herself. Even if this night ended with her being dragged out that door, it won't end with her giving up.

Suddenly though, magic happened as the Sneasel was walking towards Ako, presumably ready to strike. Ako was ready to Double Edge him back. But on his way, Bubba grabbed and tosses him as if brushing a leaf off his shoulder. She would watch with a smile inside as Bubba stood up for her and came out of the oppressive shadow he's been under. After the exchange, Susie spoke up with her usual questions. After Bubba responded, Shirako spoke up.

"Not much of a town left to be run out of anyway. With other issues present, I doubt anybody will care about the news. Now, as awesome as that scene was, and it really was. I quite liked you coming out of it, Bubba. But, because of this, I'm fairly sure of two outcomes from this. The first, he'll send his goons almost full force against Mike and his wife upstairs in the morning and use them as leverage for me. The other being that Pitch is likely going to be eating dirt for this."

Ako looked at everybody as she hopped onto the floor and shook herself 'dry' of the previous happenings.

"I'm sorry to have brought this on everybody. I-," Ako coughed awkwardly, "Ako hopes nobody is angry at her for making the situation worse for all present."

What was there to do now? This is obviously to have some backlash. Where could Pitch be? Has to be in a house, right? The caves are too far from here for that to be their station... It likely isn't the gym from Bubba's story. This has been going too long and Candice or the trainers would have noticed. It can't be the temple back there. That place is like, on lock all the time, right? And again, Haunter aren't natural around here, he has got to be a trainer's Pokemon. Or at least was one in order to get here. Ako heard about some ring down in Veilstone a while back. They had a stash in an abandoned warehouse and got busted during a routine cleaning. There are the docks to the south but, what storage could be there? The concern on Ako's face was obvious as she continued pondering clues both legit and hashed.

Bubba cleared his throat at her praise, but didn't respond to it. He did look away, as if trying to hide something.

Kip the Floatzel responded to her warning with a confident smirk, "Well, since I don't have any reason to hold back anymore, defending Michael shouldn't be too troublesome. We've fought way harder than those guys."

Kyla passed Ako a reassuring glance, "And Snowpoint City's too small to be too well hidden. We should be able to find your friend easily."

"Should we?" Leila floated over to the Eevee, resting a ghostly hand on her head, "Vintrell's a tricky one. He's gotta be in order to have run this business as long as he claims."

"Well, Bubba has enough knowledge about his gang," the Glaceon turned to the Abomasnow, "You know anywhere where we can search for Pitch?"

Bubba had been staring out the window, gazing at the drifts of snow clumped against the houses from the previous night. Now, he turned his head to face the rest of the group.

"We won't need to..." he said, turning to the Chatot, "Susie, wanna turn off Michael's alarm?"

"Ooo!" Susie chirped, "We're gonna get into some hijinx! I'd love to!"

"Ya gotta be quiet though," Bubba warned.

"I can be quiet!"

"You sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. My beak is sealed!"

"You've been shouting ever since you've been awake. I'm surprised they're not awake already."

"Nooo! I can do it! I promise!"

"Promise? Not a peep?"

"Not a peep! Promi- ...er, sorry. Promise."

Susie flapped her wings, trying her best to be as silent as possible while she soared into the hallway and up the stairs.

Leila tapped Ako's head, "We've gotta be extra sure she'll be quiet before having her do the stealth missions. Funny enough, she's better at being quiet than all of us."

"Ako is not sure if that's an insult to you guys or extreme credit on her part... Though, this reminds Ako a little of when she would unplug Mom's alarm clock so Ai and Ako could sleep in or sneak off somewhere and go exploring down in Wayward Cave."

With a short, happy sigh at the memory, Ako perked up.

"So, what's the plan now? You guys have an idea where they're at or are we just going to go a-knocking and find them one way or another?"