PokèDruids [PkmnWattys2016]

The Ashen Badge

"You wish to find the boy? Petty." The voice felt more irritated than compliant, almost reluctant to answer. "Why would you need such an insignificant pawn? He isn't that essential. He can be replaced by almost anybody."

"We need to find him, or..." Dusk stopped his focused thoughts for a second. He couldn't simply state that Eros was a friend- What did Giratina care? "Cerci said that without him, she's have to start over. And-"

"She said that? Hah. She misleads you... Do you truly believe that?"

"Well... Eros IS my trainer."

"Petty. I look down upon you, petty Duskull. Maybe you will be worth more than the space you occupy by the time you're a Duskinoir. Shame, the Sneasel would've surely been more of a man than you are. But, being the petty subject you are... Know that you are forever in my debt, Duskull."

With that, a phantasmagoric Murkrow seemed to struggle out of the Scarab, almost as if the Scarab was a rift in existence itself. The creature seemed to be in pain throughout the process, fitting its body through the tiny space granted by the amulet. After miraculously fitting its entire body through, it waved its wings a bit, taking off after a few seconds. The creature quickly made it into the noontime sky, soaring far into the east; Not after long, it circled back, staring at Dusk with a sense of frustration.

Dusk looked at Hank, communicating implicitly that they were to follow the strange bird. Hank and Dusk wasted but a second walking around the wall in order to follow the phantom wherever it may lead.

Cerci muttered to herself, "Thanks for leaving us here." Of course, she knew she couldn't follow. Not with the concussion.

Elsewhere...

Eros walked close to Sicily, still feeling a sense of protection from her, as if her own protective nature could stop her violent side, no matter how ersatz the feeling. He tried constantly to utter something in retaliation to her behavior, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he felt the imminent pressure of Sicily's disapproval crush him as would a boot to a bug. He just followed silently, almost shaking in the fear that something bad would happen.

The threat was not Sicily alone, as while he walked the streets of Ashport, he found a many strange people in odd costumes. Most of these costumes were the red trench coats and white humming-bird masks that belonged to witch hunters, giving no way to the emotions of those who wore them. Say, one in four people had this decor, and it certainly wasn't inviting. Even with the masks on, however, he could still feel the stares of the people behind them, watching his every move, as if he were a witch himself.

The truth was that people were staring at him, yet it wasn't because he was a Druid. No, nobody had known that he was a "witch" himself; They only knew that he was kidnapped by a woman named Cerci.

Aside from the witch hunters, all of which who noticed Eros but did nothing to stop him, as if doing so would be the death of them; They simply treated him as if he never disappeared. What really made Eros afraid, and even more so Sicily, were the previously nonexistent logs around the streets, forming burnt pillars that were once rope-bound. Atop these, the corpses of men, women and Pokemon were hung, burnt to death at the stake, and not all under purely superstition.

As gathered by the numerous fliers and adverts on the televisions across town, at least 3 of those burnt revealed some sort of magical capacity before dying. Were there really witches amongst us? But, as they revealed, at least 40 people died in the week, bringing into question the efficiency of the witch-hunts. None of the suspected Pokemon were even close to obtaining true sorcery, and as such, they advised against the cremation of the Pokemon.

"Eros, please don't look at this. I'll protect you." Eros simply quivered at this. "Eros? You haven't been talking a lot lately. Gee, I sure hope you don't choke during our battle!" The last line was said jokingly and dismissively, as if it wasn't a problem at all. "Hey, where's the gym?"