CHAPTER 22- TELL ME THE TRUTH



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— “HE'S WAKING UP, GIVE HIM SPACE, GIVE HIM SPACE!”— Said Aurélio Sawk, his face right above Rubro's.

Rubro Croconaw let out a small, somewhat painful grunt and, still sleepy, started getting to his feet on the soft grassy ground where he had been resting, surrounded by various new voices speaking nearby. Rubro grunted again, placing a hand on his belly and noticing a white bandage there. Then, a very light paw touched his snout:

— “Hey Rubro, welcome back!”— Greeted Mei Servine, with Aurora Ribombee flying next to the Grass Type.
— “Urrrf, finally, it's over. I'm happy to be well, and it looks like the whole Madresp team is here with us… Hm? Did we come to the Dungeon of the Fountain of Lost Dreams?”— Questioned the Croconaw after looking around.

According to his ally Ribombee, the Lacustre team members had already started entering the stadium after the Sandstorm had been interrupted. Since the wasteland where they stayed with Akeldama Zoroark ghost could have been compromised as well, she decided to use her Escape Orb to bring them there. Rubro understood the situation; the Croconaw was just about to remove his red hood when Atlas, the Throh from the Madresp team, held onto the garment:

— “Buddy, we talked a lot before you woke up. None of us want to know who's under the hood or who you are. Keeping that secret is a responsibility we don't want right now. Please, forgive us for that.”— Atlas explained, trembling and with his head bowed, not looking at Rubro.

The Croconaw understood the point; however, his intention wasn't to reveal himself but to cool off as it was quite hot under the red hood. Apparently, the Madresp team members were still dealing with the consequences of having been Hellstalkers. Theo Ursaring then approached Rubro, unable to look him in the face:

— “I-I wanted to thank you for saving me… for saving all of us. Words aren't enough to show how happy we are to be Networks again!”— Theo stated, his voice trembling as he tried not to cry.

Suddenly, everyone heard a familiar voice echoing from one of the dungeon exits:

— “It's good that you're remorseful, but now we need actions, not words.”— The owner of the voice finally revealed himself to be Luke Croconaw, accompanied by Saren Larvitar.
— “Frankly, what chaos you caused, and you even wanted to turn me into a Hellstalker. But I'm grateful that Rubro made you all revert before things got more critical!”— Completed the Croconaw with the red scarf, speaking seriously with his arms crossed.

Rubro rubbed his eyes, imagining he had actually died and was in the middle of a crazy dream. However, the little Larvitar with the orange cap gave a small wink to the red-hooded Croconaw. Rubro felt relieved by that signal, knowing it was Akeldama posing as him. Luke stated he would give his younger brother's Escape Orb to send the entire Madresp team to the Lacustre base door, where they would have to provide the necessary explanations to the authorities. Aurélio Sawk even questioned the red-scarfed Croconaw if he wouldn't do the same, and he explained that his delay was precisely because he was already doing that. The rest of the team, including Theo, asked Luke various other questions. The Croconaw just gave a small cough and affirmed it was better for them not to know too much, since a Psychic Type Pokémon could be their interrogator. As a reward to Rubro, who gave everything to save them, he only demanded discretion.

All the members agreed to the terms proposed by Luke and headed toward the Escape Orb. However, the Ursaring in the sports shirt stopped for a moment and spoke with his former partner:

— “Mei, what about you? Will you come with us?”— asked the concerned Normal Type.
— “No, Theo, I've decided that I will atone for everything I did by helping Rubro and his team. Before begging for forgiveness, I will fight for my redemption; I think it's the right thing to do…”— the Servine replied, always with a gentle smile on her face, exchanging a few glances with the red-hooded Croconaw.
— “Hehe, I understand. We were a terrible duo; I figured our partnership would end here. And thank you. If it weren't for you helping this Croconaw, things would have been much worse… DID YOU HEAR THAT, BESERKER?! YOU BETTER TAKE GOOD CARE OF THIS SERVINE HERE, SHE'S A PRECIOUS TOGETIC!”— Ordered the Ursaring, looking angrily at Rubro, seemingly no longer needing to maintain the facade of being affectionate now that he was no longer a Hellstalker.
— “Teehehe, I don't need a male to take care of me; I'll manage just fine. And hey, respect me too. I won't be anyone's helper; I'll be a partner. Theo, take care of yourself. Arbustos won't let the failure go unpunished.”— Mei warned, genuinely worried about her ex-partner.
Ursaring then turned his face to Servine, extending his claw for her to shake with her paw. However, Mei jumped and wrapped herself around Theo's neck, giving him a tight hug and rubbing her face against his. The two then shared a warm farewell.
As Team Madresp activated the Escape Orb and disappeared, a silence fell over the dungeon. Rubro used Liquidation on his own body, transforming his clothes back into Luke, while Akeldama shed the illusion of being Croconaw, reverting to the ghostly Zoroark in ripped jeans. The silence was broken by Saren running and jumping into his brother's arms, who started yelling praises to the team for defeating a Hellstalker Dynamax:

— “It was tough, but I'll keep the promise I made to Mom Nái. I'll protect you, Dad, and Argules. Together, with access to Luminous Water and my new power to create more of it, we can't lose!” — Luke affirmed with a confident smile.
— “Huh? Is THAT it? LITERALLY JUST THAT? YOU'RE JOKING, AREN'T YOU?” — asked the nervous Servine, showing much concern.
— “Luke, Argules is just a part of the problem, and not even a big part, it's tiny… Think about it, Dark Matter's influence is everywhere, not just in the Argulence empire. If we keep focusing our efforts only here, sooner or later, we'll be swallowed by the rest.” — Mei justified, looking determinedly at everyone.

The Larvitar started shaking a lot and hugged Croconaw tighter, while Akeldama sat on the ground with arms and legs crossed and eyes closed. A few seconds later, the ghostly Zoroark opened his eyes, agreeing that the point Mei raised was correct. However, they couldn't abandon Argules or globally announce the cure yet, especially since they didn't know if it was permanent or effective for all cases.
For now, the best thing to do was to strengthen themselves and gather more information. Akeldama's words calmed the small Saren, who stopped trembling with relief. Luke patted his younger brother's head while starting to ponder everything that had been said. Aurora then emphasized that the dungeon should be their permanent base. She would provide various Escape Orbs to facilitate everyone's movement, and both former hellstalkers should remain there for the time being.
While the renegades conversed, the Soldiers and the Entourage had already had a long debate, reviewing everything that had happened that interminable day through Raijin Heliolisk's holographic screens. It had become clear that the Soldiers couldn't handle things alone and needed the Entourage by their side for both strength and tactics. The most surprising thing about that debate was that Rex Lucario didn't argue the points. The Soldiers' leader, who was the most vocal defender of Madame Xerneas' sovereignty, now seemed to have his mind elsewhere.

However, Lucario wasn't the only one. Cody Charmeleon was revisiting the entire conversation he had with Luke Croconaw after the fight, sensing something odd in his behavior. Charmeleon was also thinking about Rubro and his actions. After all, up to that point, despite everything, there was still no sign of Team Madresp. This changed immediately when one of the Pokémon working at the Lacustre base for Trevor Houndoom alerted via Gadget about the sudden appearance of the five members there.
Upon hearing the call, Rex declared that he would have to leave with Naz Gabite and Cody to interrogate the Unite team. As the trio of Soldiers left the throne room, Queen Lencia Charizard expressed deep concern. If it were true that Rubro could revert Hellstalkers into Network, the kingdom could be in great danger:

— “What a blessing and a curse have fallen upon my empire. If the information about this Croconaw leaks, not only will Madame Xerneas be an obstacle, but other empires might come, besides the growing problem of those damned Hellstalkers… Aaarg, Lucius, what can we do?” — asked the frustrated queen, staring blankly ahead.
— “Containing him seems the best choice since he's a Berserker. This would answer most of our questions regarding his miraculous powers. However, the less we get involved, the less reason there will be for direct retaliation. For now, it's safer for the empire to let the Soldiers handle this problem.” — stated the Feraligatr calmly while attentively watching the recordings made by Raijin.
— “The fighting style of this Berserker is very refined. I agree with Lucius that containing him is our best option. There are still many unclear things, but it became apparent, especially when he fell there. This Berserker is not alone. There are other Pokémon with him, and I doubt they're Berserkers. Frankly, after seeing everything Raijin recorded, I'm beginning to doubt we're dealing with a Berserker.” — added Trevor, sitting on his haunches with his forepaws crossed, pointing out parts of Heliolisk's recording.

Nero Jolteon watched all the scenes with a smile. The Pokémon with the rusty earring then stated he had seen enough and would head to his guest quarters in the castle. At that moment, everyone fell silent, watching the majesty of Judicium walk towards the gate. However, before he could leave, the royal advisor questioned Jolteon's intentions, as his calm demeanor was unusual:

— “Don't worry so much about me, and frankly, I think you're focusing on the wrong problem.” — declared the monarch without looking at the other Pokémon.
— “I'd love to hear what you have to say then. You stayed silent the whole conversation, didn't question anything, didn't even make a silly comment, but kept that annoying grin the entire time. Nero, we've known each other since I was a Charmeleon and you were a dirty, insolent Eevee. I can tell just by looking at your brazen face when you're scheming something.” — retorted Queen Lencia. The Charizard even had the same habit as her son of showing her irritation through her fiery tail.

— “Lenlen, no need to throw truths in my face like that, hehehe… Buuut, I must say I agree with Lucius in leaving this Berserker to the Soldiers. I'll also do my investigations, but what worries me the most are those Hellstalkers… Think about it, they went through all that trouble just to turn Luke Hidron into a Hellstalker. What could they gain by using him…” — Jolteon finally revealed what he had been scheming during the meeting. However, realizing that the Pokémon present weren't going to answer his question, he answered it himself.
— “Lencia, Lucius, Trevor, I think they want access to the palace. The situation with this Croconaw has a good and bad side. The good is that it revealed there are no Hellstalkers infiltrated in the palace for now. The bad is that with this plan failing, they might try again, maybe even do something worse. Now more than ever, be alert to suspicious movements in the palace, protect what you deem important, and conduct psychological examinations on everyone. A weakened heart is the first condition for creating a Hellstalker.” — Nero warned, looking seriously and apparently worried at Feraligatr, Houndoom, and Charizard before leaving the throne room.

Beelzeby Luxray, Melissa Zoroark, and Raijin Heliolisk exchanged worried glances, then focused their attention on the trio of Argulence Pokémon. The three Pokémon discussed the respective targets the Hellstalkers might have access to if they could corrupt Luke. The first thing that came to Queen Lencia Charizard's mind was her son Cody, given his close friendly relationship with Croconaw, always supporting each other. Trevor Houndoom thought they might want to affect Lucius, as the royal advisor's distress could disrupt the entire kingdom's dynamics:

— “Cody is a Soldier. There's no reason for them to go through the trouble of using Luke to hurt him. And my having expelled my son from home is already public news; everyone in the kingdom knows about it… My queen, what if they are after our Frag-A?” — asked Feraligatr to the majesty.
— “Excuse me, but what is this 'Frag-A'? Is it that important?” — questioned Melissa innocently.
— “Frag-A is the short name for the objects known as 'Arceus Fragments.' These objects were blessed by Lord Arceus himself, far surpassing our defense gadgets and being more dangerous and rare than the Sacred Items used by the Soldiers. They are so rare and precious that identifying one requires either the help of another bearer or evaluation by a mythical or legendary Pokémon.” — answered Beelzeby, clarifying his companion's doubt. The Zoroark opened her mouth wide, making a vague sound to show she understood.

Lencia assumed that everyone in the Entourage knew about Frag-A since it was never a secret to Nero. However, seeing that not everyone seemed to know, the queen told the story of the Argulence empire, which went like this: Long ago, the Calypso Continent was barbaric, with many dangerous and violent Water Pokémon. Everything changed the day, a Charmander found an Arceus Frag-A, a small cigar black as night. When this Charmander smoked it, he gained immense power and used it to subjugate the Water Type Pokémon and create the empire. The name of this Charmander was Argul Flamey, and all Flameys are his descendants.
Raijin then questioned why Lencia or Cody didn't use the Frag-A. With such power that destroys hordes of Berserkers, the fear of a leader wielding it could repel Dark Matter and further expand Argules' territory. Lúcios responds, stating that controlling a Frag-A is not easy at all. Their power can corrupt the user, and their strength demands a lot from their bodies. Argul himself became a mad and tyrannical emperor who burned the original Argules to the ground. The one everyone lives in now is the second construction; the first is ruins, located an hour away from there.
Trevor gives a brief laugh, thinking that his friend has lost his mind a little. After all, Luke doesn't have the capability or power to access the chamber where the Frag-A is hidden. Controlling it wouldn't give the enemy any advantage. The black scarf Feraligatr disagrees, saying that it only takes a small spark to set a forest on fire, and the red-scarved Croconaw might not be an “end” but a “means.” Since he is inside the palace and has access to it, he could obtain privileged information that could be useful in creating the “end.”
The atmosphere in the throne room was becoming increasingly tense as the discussion continued. It wasn't worse than the interrogation conducted by the Soldiers with the Madresp team. The team's story was well-constructed, and not even Rex being “delicate” could extract information they already possessed from the three. The Charmeleon was especially furious because everyone said the same thing about the Croconaw. At this moment, the prince was interrogating the one accused of being the first Hellstalker of the team, Theo Terranostra:

— “Theo, you have returned to being a Network, but that doesn't exempt you from what you did as Hellstalkers. Things might get easier if you do the right thing. Tell us, who is Rubro the Croconaw, or at least where can we find him?” — Cody pressed the Ursaring, pacing left and right in front of the Pokémon, increasing the heat emanating from the tip of his tail.
— “That would be the right thing for whom? Anyway, we don't know who Rubro really is. We decided not to know, and as for where he is, I'd say it's in a cave with many crystals. How we got there, I don't know, and we left through an Escape Orb. You can call a Psychic Type Pokémon if you want to confirm, I'm not lying, Your Highness... *Urrfff*” — Theo spoke, sitting on a stone chair. Both the chair and the entire room were very hot. The Ursaring could hardly breathe, having asked for water several times, but the Charmeleon promptly ignored him.
— “And what about Luke Hidron, what did you want with Luke? Your partners said they were just following your orders. *BAM* START TALKING, THEO, OR I SWEAR YOU'LL LEAVE HERE COOKED!” — Cody ordered, losing his patience and increasing the room's temperature even more.

Naz Gabite, who was observing everything next to Rex through the Time Flower, was about to intervene in that immoral interrogation. However, the Lucario promptly stopped her, holding her arm tightly and looking at her seriously. Trembling, Gabite turned her face away from the Metal Type, who then released her arm, realizing she would no longer interfere.
The heat was worse than a sauna. The Ursaring had stood up and laid down on the floor, trying in vain to cool down. The Normal Type's strength was already gone. Realizing that the prince would not back down, Theo finally broke under the pressure. However, the Charmeleon gave him an ultimatum. Cody would continue to emanate more and more heat and would only stop if Theo said something useful, warning that if the Unite player lost consciousness there, he would never wake up again.

— “The plan to transform the Unite team was… was arrrf mine. In the last few weeks, arrrf arrrf, we were scouting Argules, wanting to find and… and kill Rubro for ruining the plan with the… Drapion and ridiculing the hellstalkers throughout the city. Arrrrfff, lower the temperature, I beg you, urrrfff.” — The Ursaring began to crawl towards the Charmeleon's feet. The Charmeleon just shook his head and said this information did not interest him.
— “AAARR… HELP… HELPPPP… SOMEBODY HELP MEEEE… HE WANTS TO KILL ME… HELP!!” — Theo pleaded, crying and scared. Cody knelt down, looking apathetically at the Ursaring, and said mockingly.
— “I wonder how many other Pokémon screamed the same thing to you while their skin was being turned to stone. Look around, Theo. It's just you and me here, and no one will come to help you. YOUR ONLY WAY OUT OF HERE IS BY GIVING ME ANSWERS, SO SPEAK UP!” — The Charmeleon couldn't control his passion for long, showing his anger. He grabbed Theo's head, who, unfortunately for him, passed out from the heat.

With great anger, Cody roared and then destroyed the stone chair on which the Ursaring was sitting with a Thunder Punch. This action calmed him down, reducing the heat in the room. The Charmeleon looked at the Time Flower on the ceiling and signaled that he had not obtained any information during the interrogation. Cody then left the room to see his other two partners, ordering the Charmeleons of the royal guard to check on the Ursaring and take care of his health on his way out.

The prince opened the door, head down, apologizing for the lack of results from his interrogations. Naz said he shouldn't apologize to Rex but to Theo, reaffirming that the Ursaring was no longer a Hellstalker and that acting in such a way was extremely cruel, not differentiating them from Dark Matter's followers:

— “ENOUGH! I'M SICK OF YOUR FEMALE DRAMA. IF YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED, THIS ISN'T A TEA PARTY; IT'S COMBAT! WE MUST USE EVERY METHOD AT OUR DISPOSAL. THE ONLY LINE WE MUST NOT CROSS IS… DAMN IT!” — The Lucario then ran off using Extreme Speed, leaving the Charmeleon and the Gabite puzzled.

Cody then looked at the holographic screen where Theo was and noticed a Quilava who shouldn't be there, assuming it was a Hellstalker sent to silence the Ursaring. The prince alerted Naz simultaneously, who began running towards the room. Theo's luck that night was “Deus ex machina,” as Rex arrived before the Quilava could touch him. The leader of the Soldiers pinned the Fire Type against the wall with his arm, pressing his neck. Along the way, the other two Soldiers saw the Charmeleons of the royal guard unconscious on the ground.

While Cody continued to advance, Naz stayed behind to check on the fallen guards, finding them alive but cold as corpses, pale, with vacant stares, and groaning hollowly. When the prince arrived in the room, he shouted, asking if the Lucario had caught the Hellstalker. However, the Charmeleon saw that Rex was standing with his arms crossed, talking to the Quilava, who was leaning against the opposite wall, far from Theo:

— “Well, well, well, you must be Prince Cody Flamey. It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Realm; I'm a Soldier like you, though not as stylish. Nice blue cape you have; it's not common to see such large sacred items.” — Realm introduced himself in a cold and bizarre voice, shaking Cody's claw and fiddling with his blue cape with a strange smile on his face.

At that moment, the Lucario grabbed the back of the Quilava's neck, lifting and distancing one Fire Type from the other:

— “I SAW WHAT YOU DID. RETURN WHAT YOU TOOK NOW, YOU DISGUSTING PARASECT!” — Rex didn't seem to be joking; his fists were ready to deliver a blow to Realm.
— “Hmph, still with that silly moral, Rex. We are superior to the Hellstalkers and infinitely better than the Network. Why should we adhere to silly principles when we can be more?” — The Quilava responded coldly, with a cruel smile on his face. Cody was stunned by what he had just heard, remaining speechless, unlike the Lucario, who was about to deliver a Drain Punch to Realm's face.
— “OKAY, OKAY, fine, Lucario’s and their fuss about meddling with others' auras. Here, take them back; those auras were boring anyway.” — The Quilava raised his little paws, from which various purple flames emerged. One very small flame entered the Charmeleon, who initially didn't understand.

However, out of curiosity, he decided to see where the other flames would go, witnessing the moment when some of them entered the bodies of the unconscious Charmeleons of the royal guard. When this happened, both Fire Types took deep breaths to the point of coughing, then began to cry and tremble intensely. Rex threw Realm against the wall, saying that the Quilava acted like a Paras mushroom, absorbing the aura of Pokémon he came into contact with and using it for his pleasure:

— “We may be in this damned war against this filthy entity, BUT I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO TAKE THE LIVES OF NETWORK, ESPECIALLY IN SUCH A DISGUSTING WAY AS STEALING THEIR AURAS.” — The Lucario affirmed, looking with great hatred at Realm, who only listened, laughing as if mocking the Fighting Type Pokémon mentally.
— “Well, well, well, now I understand why Madame Xerneas asked me to return the petrified citizens and the purified Hellstalker. She must not be pleased with your work, Rex… Judging by what the auras of those Charmeleons told me, you couldn't even extract good information from this ex-Hellstalker, so nynhehe, let me satisfy myself once and for all.” — The Quilava with a beret mocked Rex while approaching the Ursaring to drain his aura.

However, this time, both Cody and Naz stood in his way, preventing him from proceeding. Up until that moment, the Gabite did not trust her leader's commands and was increasingly worried about the prince's actions, but seeing the disgusting way Realm acted and hearing that the Lucario was not so bad changed her perspective. The Quilava just gave a slight groan, turning his back on both of them and starting to leave the room. However, Rex ordered Realm to stop, stating that he was in command and the Quilava owed him respect. Realm began to laugh and then said:

— “NYAHAHAHA, WELL, WELL, WELL, Rex still hasn't realized? Madame Xerneas gave me carte blanche; I do what I want. I only refrain from draining your auras now because…”
— “Because you are not only rotten but also a coward, but you're not stupid. You know very well that no matter how many immoral powers you have, we would beat you to a pulp before you could do anything.” — The Charmeleon stated, with the flame on his tail burning brightly.
— “Well, well, well, my dear prince, do your research on me… I've already done mine on you. This isn't a Fairy Type tale, this is very real, and princes aren't heroes, they're just statistics. I've wasted enough time here, I'm leaving. Madame Xerneas wants that Rubro guy, my mission is to find him, and when I do… Well… Who knows what might happen...” — warned the Quilava without even turning to look at the other Soldiers. A purple mist then appeared, and the Soldier disappeared with it.

Lucario roared in frustration, then stated they would have to protect the entire Madresp team not only from the Hellstalkers but also from Ralm, regardless of Madame Xerneas's orders. He refused to use such invasive methods. Rex then dismissed his allies to rest while he grabbed his Gadget to contact Trevor. Cody rushed out in a hurry, and Naz bid farewell. However, as she was leaving the room, she noticed Rex wasn't wearing his collar, his sacred item which by rule shouldn't be removed during service. Naz was intrigued by this but decided not to confront him for now.

Not far from there, Luke was walking down the street holding the paw of his younger brother Saren, the Larvitar with the orange cap, who was radiant with happiness to be with his older brother, something he adored and missed due to Lucios's prohibition that prevented them from seeing each other. On the other hand, although the Croconaw liked it, he didn't seem happy but rather thoughtful. As the wounds from the conflict still throbbed on his blue body, the Water Type Pokémon recalled the entire conversation he had with his allies in the dungeon of the Lost Dreams Fountain before leaving:

— “WHAT?! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND, LUKE?! TELLING THE WHOLE TRUTH TO THE SOLDIERS?!” — Akeldama, the ghost Zoroark, asked, concerned and irritated at the same time. After all, Luke had said he wanted to reveal his identity as Rubro to Cody.
— “I still don't understand why this would be crazy. We want more information anyway, and they would be good allies as they act globally. This way we can transport the Luminous Water…, but now I remember, in Nái's diary, she had ordered me not to reveal this dungeon… I've already spoiled that secret anyway, heheh.” — Aurora justified herself. The Ribombee was in favor of telling everything to the Soldiers and didn't understand why Akeldama and Nái were against it.
— “I don't trust the Soldiers that much. When I was a Hellstalker, two Pokémon made me uneasy: Rex the Lucario and Purpura the ghost Zoroark, both for their reasons. In Rex's case, he was relentless, trampling on everyone and everything to capture Hellstalkers. I remember when he attacked an amusement park to capture a Bewear; in the process, he injured several baby and child Pokémon...” — Mei, the Servine, recounted, even saying she was no longer afraid of Akeldama, finding him very cute. Saying this, she simultaneously rubbed against the ghost Zoroark's white and red hair.
— “*Rrrrrr*, your pets in my fur feel so good, *rrrrrr*, HEY, STOP THAT, I'M STILL THREATENING!” — Akeldama purred as Mei petted his fur. Despite telling her to stop, the Grass Type continued, and Saren joined in, doing the same.

The ghost Zoroark eventually gave up resisting, sitting cross-legged and allowing the Larvitar and the Servine to pet his fur like a tame Berserker. However, despite all that affection, Akeldama's words were not friendly:

— “Dealing with Legendary and Mythical Pokémon *RRRR* never results in good things, Luke *RRRRR*. These Pokémon *RRRRR* don't think like Network and act very much *RRRR* in favor of their own functions. What *RRRR* Mei said is not an isolated case. Xerneas's job, or Madame Xerneas as the *RRRR* Soldiers call her, is to watch over life. *RRRR* The balance is threatened by Dark Matter, and Xerneas will do anything for balance. *RRRRRRR*” — the ghost Zoroark said about a very serious matter while purring like a Meowth.
— “Madame Xerneas often kidnaps talented Pokémon, forcing them to become Soldiers and fight for her in the crusade against Dark Matter. You said it was your stepmother who taught you to fight. Imagine an entire village with Pokémon with your talents and abilities to purify Hellstalkers. Luke, I understand why your stepmother ran away. Her entire people are constantly in danger not only from Dark Matter but also from Xerneas herself.” — said the Servine while still petting Akeldama's fur. Meanwhile, Saren had fallen asleep on top of the ghost Zoroark's hair.

While the Croconaw woke his Larvitar brother, everyone voted. With three votes to one, the decision was made not to tell the Soldiers anything about Rubro, the Lost Dreams Fountain, and especially Nái Tyranitar's past:

— “Luke, Luke… LUUUUKIIIIII!!” — Saren shouted, pulling his brother's hand.

Luke looked at his younger brother, asking why he was calling him. The Larvitar grunted, looking upset, explaining that he had been talking to the Croconaw all this time, but he wasn't responding at all. The Pokémon with the red scarf laughed in embarrassment. Luke then justified that he was thinking about Cody. The Croconaw closed his eyes briefly, recalling their battle against the Dynamax Ursaluna:

— “You know, I never imagined I would fight alongside Cody and help him. It was an incredible feeling to finally show him my true 'self.' Since we met, Cody has been one of the lights in my life.” — Luke affirmed with a sparkle in his eyes. Saren gave a mischievous smile and asked his brother to tell more.
— “You know, when I was a Totodile, I had a lot of friends, but over time, they saw me as weak and started rejecting me. Things got worse when one of those friends used me for something… disgusting. After what that friend did, Nái began my training.” — For a few seconds, the sparkle left the Croconaw's eyes, and he squeezed the Larvitar's paw.
— “WELL, WELL, but that's not the point. The thing is, even with everyone rejecting me, I still tried my best to get closer, and that's when Cody appeared. It was during an exercise. Haha, he went all out and beat everyone up, including me. I was so angry and sad that I went after him, intending to put all of my mom Nái's training to use and get revenge, but he was faster, hehe.” — Luke gave a shy smile and with his other hand, he stroked his own neck.
— “I can't explain what happened in that bathroom, but after that, I felt like Cody was my sun. He was what I wanted to be: confident, strong, determined, supportive, caring.” — The Croconaw then briefly closed his eyes, remembering various moments when Cody, still a Charmander, extended a hand to him and was his best friend.

However, as he recalled so many things, Luke remembered the kiss Cody had stolen from him. The Croconaw had gone through so many hardships since that happened, and so many things had become more of a priority for him. Luke wondered if it had been too cruel of him to ignore his own feelings and those of the Charmeleon.

— “Luke, Luke, look up at the sky!” — Saren exclaimed, pointing upwards.

The Croconaw looked in the indicated direction, seeing Cody flying with his blue cape illuminated by the lights of Argules. It wasn't long before he started descending towards the brothers. Luke smiled upon seeing his friend there in front of him. Saren even made a joke about them talking about the Charmeleon at that moment. Both the Croconaw and the Larvitar gave a friendly laugh, but Cody didn't seem friendly at all:

— “Yeah, right? I must be a joke to you…” — The Charmeleon's bitter words brought an ear-piercing silence to the place. Luke and Saren turned pale and stared at the prince, who seemed to be burning with rage.
— “Co-Cody, what happened? Why did you say that?” — The Croconaw asked worriedly. The Larvitar let go of his brother's hand and hid behind him in fear.
— “You must think I'm an idiot, don't you? Rubro!” — Cody responded, his flames burning so brightly that their light rivaled the city's illumination.
— “Pffff, hehe, are you kidding? Me, Rubro? Hahaha, hm? You're not kidding? Is this a joke?” — Luke started by mocking the prince's statement, realizing from Cody's increasingly furious face and burning tail that the Fire Type truly believed what he had said.

The Croconaw remained calm; it wasn't the first time he had to lie to someone special. In fact, Luke had already deceived the Charmeleon several times at his stepmother's request. With a serious expression, the Water Type asked why Cody accused him of being Rubro. The prince pointed his claw at Luke's face and said that at the end of the conflict, they had spoken, and he noticed that not only were his injuries in different places but also his scarf was in a different position:

— “About the scarf, earlier today I had a problem because of this change in appearance. The gate guards didn't recognize me and ended up stopping me. Due to all the confusion, I changed to my usual look to avoid trouble. As for the injuries, Saren is afraid of hospitals, so he and I did first aid on ourselves. And Saren's paws, not having five fingers, don't have the same skills as mine, so he hurt me more than he helped.” — The Croconaw's explanation was clear and direct, without hesitation or fear, not suggesting he was lying.

Cody growled, directing his attention to the Larvitar who was peeking from behind his older brother. When Saren noticed the Charmeleon's furious gaze, he quickly hid again, apologizing to his brother for being clumsy. The prince closed his eyes, turning his face away while still growling. He then demanded an explanation about why Rubro was always related to Luke, asking where the Croconaw was on the day the Larvitar was attacked:

— “I was crying in the palace. We had that conversation in your room, and I thought I had ruined everything by not giving the response you wanted after the… after what happened. I even thought about jumping from one of the balconies, imagining I had lost my only friend. A guard even saw me…” — Luke recounted, seemingly shaken by the situation and avoiding mentioning the kiss due to its intimate nature between them.

The Croconaw also said that afterward, he went out to look for his younger brother. However, he was approached by Aurora from the Candyzzz team, who needed an ally for a mission, and he decided to help her. Luke even took out his Gadget from his red scarf and showed Cody his team's emblem. However, despite all these alibis and the Croconaw's confidence, the Charmeleon's instinct still made him think it was a lie:

— “Grrrr, and where were you when Rubro attacked various teams from the Lacustre base in the forest? I remember that day I asked the guards about your whereabouts. They told me you had left the palace in the late afternoon… EXPLAIN YOURSELF!” — The prince exclaimed ardently.
— “I mean… I think it should be Luke demanding information, you're asking about other Pokémon about him, what a bizarre business…” — Saren commented carelessly.
— “SILENCE, ANSWER THE QUESTION, LUKE!” — Cody ordered, irritated by the Larvitar's comment.
— “Cody, I don't even know what you're talking about. Were the members of the Lacustre Base attacked by Rubro? Why? When?” — The Croconaw showed he didn't know what the prince was talking about, and Saren behind him shouted that Rubro never attacked anyone from the Lacustre Base.

The Charmeleon clenched his claws in frustration. That question was a trap. Rubro's attack on the Lacustre Base members during the search for Nái Tyranitar hadn't been disclosed. If Luke had answered it, it would mean he knew when the attack happened, which was very suspicious. The Croconaw wasn't a Slowpoke. He, along with Aurora and Akeldama, had looked for news about Rubro's deeds at the time of the attack. When they found none, they noticed the silence from the base regarding the incident.

— “ENOUGH, LUKE, ENOUGH! STOP TREATING ME LIKE AN IDIOT! IF YOU WON'T TELL ME THE TRUTH, I'LL FORCE IT OUT OF YOU!” — Cody swore, shouting in anger, before using a Heat Wave in the direction of his friend.

Seeing the move coming, Croconaw turned his back, embracing the Larvitar, and used Aqua Tail to shield his rear. However, Luke's Aqua Tail was too weak and couldn't withstand the Fire Type attack, critically injuring him. Luke groaned in pain, causing his younger brother to worry.
Before they could take any action, Cody flew and grabbed Luke's red scarf from behind, lifting him by the garment. The Charmeleon spun and threw Luke, who rolled on the ground, ending up on his back. Despite the pain, Luke tried to get up, but Cody had lost all control. The prince dived from the air onto Luke's stomach with Dragon Claw active:

— “LET GO OF MY BROTHER!” — Saren shouted, his eyes brimming with tears, as he ran to push the Charmeleon off the Croconaw.

Cody didn't even look at the Larvitar. In response to the Ground Type Pokémon's act, the Charmeleon used Dragon Claw on Saren, violently throwing him onto the street. Luke screamed his younger brother's name, only to be silenced by the prince strangling him with his sharp claws. Luke grabbed Cody's arms, trying to make him let go, but without success. Luke looked at his fallen brother and then stopped trying to fight the Charmeleon:

— “PLAYING DEAD WON'T WORK THIS TIME, LUKE. I TOLD YOU, I WON'T LET GO UNTIL YOU TELL ME THE TRUTH!” — The prince, burning with rage, tightened his grip on Luke's neck.
— “*GULP* Co-Cody, you're not *Gulp* like this, *arrrfff arrrrfff*, I-I always *gulllp* trusted you, please, *arrrrf arrrrf*, trust me!” — The Croconaw's vision blurred, and at that moment, Luke saw all the wonderful moments he had spent with Cody.

Luke could attack his friend. He had altered all his moves, and even if he defended himself, there would be no way to associate him with Rubro. However, he truly believed in Cody Flamey and had faith that he would do the right thing. Starting to turn purple and tearing up, the Croconaw closed his eyes and lay on the ground, surrendering to whatever the Charmeleon decided to do.
In his mind, all Cody could think was, “Confess, confess, stop the charade, stop treating me like an idiot, and confess already.” Suddenly, the Charmeleon felt something warm running down his face, dripping onto Luke's mouth. More and more of it began to flow, soaking his friend. It was then that Cody realized he was crying, and crying a lot. He then loosened his grip on Luke's neck and looked around, seeing the Larvitar on the ground trying to get up, the plants and walls he had burned with his Heat Wave, and finally the Croconaw lying beneath him.
The Charmeleon closed his eyes and tried to release Luke's neck, but suddenly felt as if something was forcing him to continue. Suddenly, Cody's claws began acting on their own, tightening their grip on the Croconaw's neck even more. The Charmeleon tried to let go, but couldn't. His mind was in complete chaos, as if two voices were screaming simultaneously, one wanting him to finish what he had started and the other begging him to stop:

— “GHAAAAAAAAAAAA!!” — The prince roared with all his might.

At that moment, Cody was hit by a Thunderbolt on his shoulder. The force of the attack was so intense that it not only made him release Luke from suffocation but also destroyed one of his shoulder pads, deactivating his sacred item. The Charmeleon started hyperventilating, his vision blurred, and finally, Cody fainted, collapsing onto Luke, with his deactivated cape covering both of them like a blanket.
The Croconaw, on the other hand, gasped for air while hugging his friend. Luke felt awful about what had happened, thinking it was all his fault, not only because of his lies but also because he had ignored the Charmeleon all this time while training to improve his fighting style. The Pokémon with the red scarf gently moved his friend off him. He was about to get up to check on his brother's condition when he noticed another Pokémon with Saren:

— “Even with Cody acting furious, he's not stupid. It looks like the hit that struck you was more to push than to hurt. Hehe, you must be relieved.” — Stated the Jolteon with the rusty earring.
— “You're Nero, right? I didn't think I'd see you twice in one day. Will Cody and Saren be okay?” — Luke asked, approaching with a sad expression.
— “The Pokémon was choking you, and you're worried about him? The fetishes of the new generation never cease to amaze me, hehehe! And yes, Cody and your brother will be fine, but I wish I had seen your brother before attacking him so fiercely. If I knew he was holding back like this, I would have been more careful.” — Nero joked while answering the Croconaw's questions.

Luke touched his neck, remembering the first time the Charmeleon had choked him. Even though Cody had held back with his younger brother, he hadn't done so with the Croconaw:

— “He… he really tried to choke me. This isn't the Cody I know… He would never do this…” — Luke said, turning his back on the Larvitar and Jolteon, intending to check on his friend.
— “I'm fine, Luke, thanks for asking. Thanks also for thanking me for trying to save you. It's really cool to have a brother who cares more about the friend who tried to choke him than the brother who tried to save him.” — Saren mocked while getting up from the ground, the Pokémon in the orange cap rubbing his cheek where Cody's Dragon Claw had struck.
— “HEY! I asked about you. Don't be so dramatic. Cody didn't hit you that hard. You're already well enough to make jokes. If he had wanted to hit hard for real, you would still be knocked out.” — The Croconaw responded, arms crossed, still facing away from the Larvitar.

Saren held his breath a bit, puffing out his cheeks and looking irritated. The Larvitar then turned his back on his older brother, trembling a bit, wanting to cry out of anger. At that moment, Luke hugged his brother from behind, rubbing his yellow chin on the orange-capped head of Saren. The Croconaw then thanked his younger brother for trying to protect him.
However, Luke followed up by telling the Larvitar to prioritize himself more than him. Saren was upset by the comment and broke free from the hug, facing his brother. The Larvitar told the Croconaw to stop talking nonsense like that, then hugged him again, rubbing his face on his brother's soft belly. The Jolteon watched without intervening, seeing the two brothers act that way reminded him of his own, giving him the urge to hug him as well.

— “You guys are adorable, this display of affection was so sweet that my teeth are hurting, but I need to talk to you, Luke. Not now, of course. Please, take my contact… ARRRRGH, DAMN, I CAME WITHOUT MY RAIJIN… URGH, I need to get a Gadget for myself.” — Nero said, deeply frustrated as he approached the unconscious Charmeleon, since without the Gadget, he would have to carry the Pokémon to the castle.
— “It looks like you don't have a Gadget, what a shame, huh? You should get one, it's a great tool to solve confusions like this. I'll call the hospital… Wow?!” — As Luke tried to connect with the hospital attendant, the Jolteon stood on his hind legs and placed his front paws near the Croconaw's snout.
— “NO, in problems like this you need to call the Soldiers, are you connected to any of them?” — Nero asked after explaining what they should do.

All Luke did was laugh embarrassed and then explain that the Soldier he had a connection with was now unconscious on the ground. Upon hearing this, the Jolteon leaned his forehead against the Croconaw's snout while murmuring frustrated about not wanting to carry Cody on his back to the Argules palace. Saren, hearing that, told Nero that they were already on their way to the palace and could help him carry the Charmeleon. The Jolteon then lifted his head with a big smile on his face, thanking them greatly for their help.
With the unconscious prince on his back, the Croconaw carried him with some difficulty towards the palace, taking great care not to let the fin on his back hurt Cody. Along the way, Nero kept talking a lot with the two brothers. Luke then felt something strange coming from the Jolteon, something he hadn't felt with any other Pokémon, but before he could ask anything, he heard a murmur from the Charmeleon who hugged him affectionately from behind, which made the Croconaw stop thinking about Nero and hurry his pace to help Cody as soon as possible.