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The group would arrive at Diglett's Cave without issue, Larrimore among them. It was apparent this little side route was either largely forgotten by security or they thought it was much more worth the resources giving extra security to the city proper. They truly did not expect Snagem to have any avenue of escape besides on old fashioned foot. Either way this was to their benefit, the group now standing in front of the cave.

"So we just walk in and go...where?" Larrimore said, looking to Aile for direction. Once Aile took the initiative to lead everyone in the Pinsir hybrid would follow close behind.

The inside of the tunnel system was just as one might expect for a place called 'Diglett's Cave', numerous Diglett holes dotting the ground and even the walls and ceiling. In fact they might spot a few Diglett here and there curiously poking their heads out of said holes only to quickly retreat back into them. Besides said holes it was a seemingly plain tunnel without much else to mention about it.

Aile would lead them into the tunnel, the path seeming pretty straight forward and no doubt led everyone to wonder where this 'hidden' warp panel could actually be in a place that didn't appear to have any branching paths. However Aile knew better, thanks to her tremor sense she could sense any gaps or other abnormalities in the ground and even the walls here. She would lead them about halfway into the tunnel before stopping at a wall, a cluster of 'Diglett Holes' here. Using her senses on the wall she would sense a material here that was different than the rest, something not natural earth, something that didn't resonate the same. It was inside one of the holes.

Reaching in she would feel something unusual, something round that felt like it had a slight give to it. It was a button. If and when she pressed the button a section of wall behind her would crumble away to reveal a new path. However, it also did something else...

"Dug!"

"Trio!"

"Dug-dug!"

One after another Dugtrio would suddenly pop out of the ground, walls and ceiling all around them, the trios of moles all appearing extremely angry and ready for a fight. "Well, as they say back home you have to break the shell to get the Pamtre." The hybrid said with a sigh as he released his faithful companion, Chesnaught, preparing for battle.

(Fight off the attacking Dugtrio! Knock out at least one of them.)

Rachel sat with Amber while they let the rest of the team decide what to do. Neither was really inclined to add any input, since it seemed everyone else was figuring things out pretty well without their opinions. That being said, the two women were at a bit of a loss as to what to do. Rachel caught sight of the odd glass child running around. Wait, that was Clare? They didn't look like what Rachel remembered, but then again, she didn't know all that much about Nihilego, either. When Amaranth called over to her, she gave a nod and got up, walking over to see what they were doing. Ah, they were going to check for blind spots in the gym, apparently. "I'm ready to go whenever you are," she said.

I sat there, staring at Cruxias as he continued to stack his case about my means of taking care of Tristen, but then, as he continued on, sighed a bit silently. As he drolls on from pointing out my history with Tristen in various outings and whatnot, pointing out to Tristen’s premature evolution, he was trying to pry away at what was effectively a stone wall. Someone who still had made his peace with it. He was wasting time trying to build up a look like he was the righteous prosecutor all the while to play with feelings of others and such, where he was getting nothing out of me. His receipts were worthless. Lets see if I can’t screw with him a little bit. “Okay, it’s at this point where I think I am going to have to call for an Objection, your honor, and ask for relevance.” I said to the judge. “My parenting, lackluster to my admission, isn’t on trial. It’s the alleged war crimes, at whatever laundry list of charges that SWIPE has, and last I checked, my care of Tristen isn’t part of that, never mind hardly constitutes a war crime in and of itself. If after all is said and done one wishes to call protective services, then by all means, but we’re in more serious waters than that. Short of bringing up Odd’s incident with Dull, and even then, that’s argumentative in itself, all Cruxias has done thus far in this court room is try to poke away at integrity that, as far as most anyone is concern believes at this time with these proceedings that we have none to begin with, and has done nothing but twist words to events he wasn’t even there for. I’m calling, your honor, for Mr. Cruxias to actually get on track and address the charges at hand instead of spinning wheels. Last I checked, this is a court, not a schoolyard playground.”

In other words, this wasn’t a trial at all, giving all the more credence to how much I felt this trial was a farce. This was a popularity contest, where we already had the odds severely stacked against us considering what SWIPE allegedly had, and what was at stake was our freedom. The only good news was that now that I was taking a stand on Cruxias, showing that I will make objections and such, and hopefully other Snagems will as well when he starts showing signs of being out of line, he’s now having to make sure he carefully crafted his questions because everyone was now watching him. We’re not as dumb as he’s probably already taking us for. This wasn’t going to be that open and shut if we could help it. Unfortunately, if he really is that experienced of a prosecutor as he claims he is, then this only was a minor speed bump at best. It also brought to light something else as I took a glance at Sub for a very brief second. I ended up realizing that even if we found that proverbial silver bullet of evidence in Ein’s tower, it wouldn’t have mattered anyways. We would have put it through the paces in this court room where this devil in white would have dismantled any part of it, or use it against us. That one overruled objection that I tried to do changes the whole perspective on the current matter, for better or worse. At the end of the day, it was us versus Cruxias and the judge. We needed this man to be outspoken and out whitted.

Unfortunately, at the same time in that brief second, I found myself at an impasse. Honestly, there was in essence perhaps no justifying it. Tristen was too young, in fact, to be fighting the likes of random thugs, never mind the likes of Team Flare and Cipher’s goons, or going head-to-head with Legendary Pokémon on occasion (those being intentional or not), and for that matter going at them with for a good chunk of the way with unevolved Pokémon who too didn’t even probably have any business in the fights they were in. Hell, I even remembered Tristen lamenting how Meinshao and Rampardos evolving as fast as they did post the battle at Black City. In fact, a good chunk of his Pokémon didn’t even evolve until towards the latter part of our crusade against Ein and Lysandre, which was in part why he ended up having to rely on Dragonite for a lot of it, never mind took the risk in trying to tame stronger Pokémon outright as opposed to raising them, such as Galvantula or snagging and purifying Zera’s Magmar, which in retrospect, I owe those Pokémon a hell of a lot more than I initially thought I had, and I already acknowledged a lot. I could state simply that I didn’t initially and relented. But even, that still brings the question of why I relented to begin with. Why didn’t I put my foot down on Tristen when he wanted to be a part of the team instead of being stuck sitting in the headquarters? Never mind just take him out of there, go live out life out of Snagem? Hell, give him to someone that wasn’t in Snagem? A family that could? While they maybe acknowledge perhaps Tristen wanted to be a part of this, which he did, the onus was still on me to still say ‘no’ and not eventually be a doormat to the matter, never mind bank on any possibility Tristen would want to back out at some point along the way, which I stated he never did nor did he show any intention to. Never mind Tristen’s other additional reasoning which I wasn’t going to go into. Not where Cruxias was involved at least; that was potential more ammunition that I was not going to let him grab.

“Like I stated before…” I spoke up. “Tristen already had a harsh realization as is that he wasn’t going to be safe with someone like Ein around, and at the time, for the record, this was who we perceived as Ein at the time, as opposed to one of his doubles. I did oppose him joining the team initially. I was intending on being out of the team long before now, preferably before Tristen got any sort of opportunity. But intent fell to the way of inaction towards it, not because I wished it that way, but the circumstances around it. Before that point before Tristen wanted to have any significant part of the team, he effectively stayed around the headquarters, out of the way of the operations. He’d initially hint he was interested and I would shut him down on it. It wasn’t until he made a stand himself, I guess wanting to prove himself…I don’t know. At that point, I just ended up being the doormat and in turn went to help him in every way I could. Like I also said, I ended up banking for a while that he would back out for any multitude of reasons. He didn’t. I could have at absolute bare minimum had him submitted to get him into a more proper home if I was so hellbent on trying to fight the likes of Ein, for instance. But perhaps in that case, pride got in my way. Tristen chose me that day when I rescued him. Turning him away to be dragged and jerked around into the system would have felt to be a symbol of failure on my part, a failure that I couldn’t bring myself to accept. Because I would have felt as it being a betrayal to the kid. He chose me at the time and while I didn’t foresee myself moving back into Snagem operations shortly after I got him, I was going to accept responsibility for him all the same.”

I looked at Cruxias, staring at him. “You brought up Challengers Cave and Sevii Islands, citing the dangers involving a legendary Pokémon and dealing with other old remnants of Cipher respectively? You don’t go in expecting a Legendary Pokémon to be around, never mind that no one saw those Ciphers coming at the Sevii Islands. Even if you discount it, stating that I should have known the competition was going to be fierce, and with Challenger’s Cave in particular, you might have a point. But by the time the Sevii Islands challenge came around, he was more prepared for it. What he lacked in strength he had in knowledge. He knew his outs when it came to it. That’s been his M.O. for a while now, even now. Even then, shortly after the Sevii Islands competition, I had a rival of mine to actually acknowledge his growth, complimented, he was impressed. During the competition, he took a Thunderbolt attack from Tristen, one that actually got him to be actually looked at as legit competition for a brief time when most others would have just passed him off as a kid in over his head. Tristen didn’t quit for any of it, even when he probably had every right to. Probably that he should have. All the same, in those contests, victory wasn’t really the objective for either of them, even though we were going to try for it. It was spending the time where I could with him.” I said.

“In this time that Tristen has been with me, with Snagem as a whole, I had made sure every minute step of the way that Tristen was okay. In essence, Mr. Cruxias, what I was shielding him from, apart from the random Shadow Pokémon or some nemesis, was himself. I wasn’t going out of my way to raise a child soldier as you’re trying to imply. While he made a decision that I lamented on, I made sure instead that in spite of the absolute crap that he would end up facing, he wasn’t going to lose himself in doing so. That I took on whatever burdens that he had as well, letting him know that he was not alone, but that he also didn’t get full of himself when he undertook those missions or those contests. In those times of stress and moral myopias, he confided a great deal to me, Sub, our doctor, and some other members in Snagem. We all understood that he was still a kid, teen now, and he was going to be looking at things and taking in things with a different lens as the rest of us. Perhaps, no, one shouldn’t be letting a kid take control of their life in such a fashion, but the thing that tends to be ignored a lot is that kids tend to be smarter than most are willing to give them credit for, and few allows that intelligence to flourish. In spite of the mess of say Lysandre and Ein has caused, Tristen came out better than most would. Sure, he evolved, but that was only right at the very end of the last fight with Ein. He didn’t evolve in the harshest of circumstances. If that was the case, he should have evolved a long time ago. He evolved because it was over.” I said to him. Though that was probably glossing over the fact of having a freaky thunderstone probably being as much of a catalyst to the situation at hand. Another thing I wasn’t going to give to Cruxias if I can help it. “Thinking about it now, he probably came out of all of that better than a good number of us, even me, in fact, and that’s only because I went out of my way in the process to make sure that he would. And well…mission accomplished. He hadn’t really talked about any long-term plans with Snagem, or even Pokémon training and battling, you know? He’s been all about having the school life in Uva-Naranja Academy, until recent events that is, but it’s something he’s set to go back to once this is all over. Over the past year when I have been in contact with him, he talked about perhaps being a Pokémon professor himself as he took classes, which was astonishing to me. I hope he does! You are so anxious to paint my actions in such a negative light, and while some of the ends don’t justify the means, rather the means were intentional or not, you just have to look at him and realize…this kid actually has a future if he’s allowed to. It’s because I went out of my way and fought for that future for him. Prepared him for that future in the ways that I knew how in the best ways that I could.”

This had to be for shits and/or giggles. Children as young as age ten were roaming the cities and countrysides of every region known to the Pokemon League at this very moment catching Pokemon and training them for battle. Sure, Tristen is a hybrid, and and the needs of hybrid children - to say nothing of their combat abilities and the strain involved - were not on the same level as 'little Jimmy's top percentage Rattata', but I couldn't help but sense SOME degree of hypocrisy in this line of questioning. I tried to use my connection to the nearby Rala to see how Keiko felt about all this, but I didn't pick up anything but impatience. All she seemed to care about was seeing her biological daughters again. Couldn't say I blamed her.

~*~

Meanwhile, Absinthe's Breloom, Broly, was battling a Dugtrio with the rest of the group of Snagems in Digglet Cave. "Poison Powder followed by Leech Seed. You can use damaging moves once it's feeling the pain from those," Abby ordered dismissively, her eyes glued to her Rotom Phone. She was leaning against one of of the walls of the cave, only barely paying attention to the battle in front of her. "Dangit, why hasn't he sent anything yet?" she cursed under her breath. She was still waiting on a message from me to let her know whether Chaos was with the rest of the Snagems that were supposed to be returned to us by now. Keiko wasn't the only impatient one. Glancing at the battle, she recognized the enemy Dugtrio covered in small vines and purple dust. "Alright, now use Giga Drain to drain it dry. The poison and leeching effects ought to help with that."

The Dugtrio, to its credit, was doing everything it could to shake off Abby's Breloom; using Sunny Day in an attempt to dry up Leech Seed's vines, as well as utilizing its own poison in Sludge Wave to diminish Broly's fighting strength. A wild Pokemon just couldn't keep up with a diligently trained Pokemon who had a human helping with the tactical side of things, and with another Giga Drain, the poor Ground-type fell, though Broly didn't exactly get away scott-free, as he was fairly damaged as a result of the fight. Abby sighed as she pocketed her phone and recalled her Breloom. "Man, staying back was a mistake. Not knowing what's going on in that courtroom is driving me up the wall," she whined to herself quietly.

Believe his respect? I have no reason to. This was a prosecutor going through the motions, doing every thing he can to make sure that we end up getting the shaft that SWIPE desires so. His sudden comment about me doing whatever as I saw fit didn’t do him any favors either. I never claimed innocence in trying to raise Tristen; I know I made mistakes, I said as such. Not many ends up in the position that I do. My life has been nigh-insanity since Celcius came after me that fateful day, turning me into a hybrid, and then everything from there on. From Freth, to a second coming with Celcius, Tails, Miles, the Rangers, then everything Snagem thereafter, like Ein’s doubles and the Cipher occupying in Unova, the Kalosian monarchy shakeup, Ein’s pandemic, Lysandre’s gambit. Tristen coming in the middle of all of that, while the timing was unfortunate, was perhaps one of the best things that happened to me and I needed to make sure that he came out fine through all of that mess, come hell or high water. Even if I was taken out in some capacity, Tristen would still live on to make his own decisions. I’m not going to apologize for that; to hell with this prosecutor.

In spite of being tempted otherwise right now, I remained unmovable through this whole fabrication. The mighty glacier. However, the cracks showed only a little bit when the prosecutor played his final hand on me. The group, the entire one that ended up getting left at the headquarters, was being escorted in, collars all. Cuffed. I could see it on Doc in particular as he saw me in the witness stand. He was tired; he’s been through stressful situations, namely through a lot of what we been through. Life-saving procedures and the like. While stressed, he always came out fine in the end, more so knowing he did what he could and being satisfied with it. This, however, was different. This wasn’t the stress under pressure. No. This was the stress of it being gradual. Non-stop. Constant berating by his captors, watched at every point all the while presumably forced responsibility to keeping care of the children he carried right now, no help out of the SWIPE operatives that oversaw them. Part of me wanted to jump up, rush for them, see if Doc and the others were okay, wondering if SWIPE harmed them in any way. We saw the news that couple of weeks ago when Looker made his announcement, they looked terrible. Physically fine, but stressed to all hell. And that didn’t seem to change in the past couple of weeks leading up to this. For all the pointed attacks on me, it was astounding this entire room were more than happy to overlook the fact that they effectively held a good number of non-combatants hostage there in the headquarters just to get us to comply coming here. And worse, he was painting out the fact that Tristen being proof of just the kind of influence one kid could have. That regardless of the intent, they can be weaponized. And we allegedly had ammunition waiting on the up and coming. As much as I wanted to rip Cruxias apart for such statements, making a show of Doc Owl and those kids before the whole proceeding, part of me was a bit agitated at the likes of a couple of the other Snagems then. I didn’t protest on the matter because it would have more than likely made me look severely like a hypocrite, among plenty of things that I tend to be about, but at the very least, Tristen was in a position where he was capable and only grew more so. For the likes of Lykas and Odd, never mind Ter and Keiko who apparently couldn’t wait to get it on in their headquarters room or wherever they did it at, I couldn’t help but to feel irritated. Not going to lie, of all the ‘blows’ Cruxias landed, this one actually hit. And here I am having to take it. Never mind the fact, there was something else that was an issue. Cruxias was now getting those kids to watch. He was trying to get those impressionable minds to listen in; make their own decision, sway the jury if they react the wrong way that Cruxias could take advantage of. This prosecutor is a b*****d, bar none.

As I looked over towards Sub, waiting to see what kind of move or statement he was going to make, I once again started to hope those contingencies were well in place. Because Cruxias was constantly turning up the pressure and I wasn’t sure how much the rest were going to be able to take before we start second guessing ourselves. For the love of God, Odd broke down in tears near immediately as he passionately defended himself, what were the rest going to do?

Keiko's face lit up when Yuna and Serena appeared, only for it to twist into despair the second she realized that part of the team wasn't going to be sat next to the rest of them like Looker said. When Yuna realized what was happening, she tried to move toward her mother only to be stopped by a SWIPE guard. She immediately held her hands up as a sign of compliance, and walked to the prosecution's side while giving her mother a repentant look. Keiko curled up at that, trying not to show the sorrow she felt at continuing to be kept from her very young children. All I could do was pat her on the back in a vain attempt to calm her, but I couldn't help but glare at Cruxias while I did so. I was determined to remain civil through the course of this case, and at times had to resort to my esper ability to do so. That said, the hypocrisy from a moment ago was more than bad enough. If my hunch was right, Cruxias was about to take this far beyond anything even remotely approaching decent. As the seed of rage had begun growing inside Keiko's mind, I noticed someone in the non-combatant group that I didn't recognize until I saw his face as he sat down. He was wearing a suit and had cut his hair short, but there was no mistaking that resting b*****d face. Taking my glare away from the prosecution, I fished my Porygon Phone from my pocket with my free hand and sent the message I'd promised.

~*~

Absinthe recalled her Breloom once the wild Dugtrio fainted to her attacks, and still kept to the side, giving the rest of the team there a wide berth so as to not get cheapshotted by wild Pokemon or something. She was about to sigh from boredom when her Rotom Phone vibrated in her pocket. I told her everything, from his new look to where he was sitting, explaining that she wouldn't be able to talk to him now even if she had come with us. That didn't stop her from shoving her phone back in her pocket and growling in a mix of rage and frustration. "~/~it! Knew I shoulda went with'em."

Monique had been fairly unruffled through Blizzard's testimony and even Cruxias's rebuttal. Then, one of the doors to the courtroom opened and in came the children, collared and handcuffed. It made her uncomfortable in more ways than one to see them like this, leaving her little recourse but to squirm in her chair.

First, Cruxias and the prosecution had just used three children as props, left them in the equivalent of daycare while all of this had gone on. They clearly had been cared for by the letter of the law but maybe not in spirit.

Second, this was no place for children. It wasn't her first time in such a place, not by a long shot. Sub Rosa was no place for children, and every employee and patron knew it. Children, precious as they were in a society that had long ago lost the plot, deserved environments that were more wholesome and salubrious than a lesbian nightclub. At Sub Rosa, bare bodies and awkward questions were the things that were worth shielding children from. At the Courtroom-in-the-Gym, they were weaponized to create awkward questions.

Now, they were in the very collars she was hoping wouldn't exist anymore someday, the very collars that were a symbol of how her world lost the plot, guided around at the mercy of authorities who acted as if coordinated by Spidops thread to each other or to something moving them.

Momo, you're here for one reason. She tried to center herself, breathing a little heavier. Your moment will come. That's all you need to do.

If Blizz looked her way, he might see Monique vigorously nodding as he described the collars. Good. Make them realize what's wrong. She felt like Blizz was setting up the alley-oop for her argument, containing much the same content from a different vantage point. All she had to do was follow through and put it in the basket.