PMD... The Azrael (#09)

  The hooded Treecko, held a rather tired Pichu out of the Sleepytime Library. Azrael looked up to the sky, and, to his own sigh, sees the sky set into a deep blue, sprinkled with glimmering stars. He pulls himself together, wrapping Maxine with the cape part of his hood. He walked lightly into the slowly dying crowd of Tao Village's plaza. He softly nudged a sleepy Maxine awake.

  "Sorry to wake you, but do you think that 'confirmation' to be inaugurated into the Rogues is all that important to have such amounts of paperwork to fill?" Azrael asked softly.

  Maxine stared into her friends face with heavy eyes. She drooled. "I have no idea what you... Said..." She began to snore.

  Azrael nudged her a tad rougher. "No-no please. Do not go to sleep, yet. We must return you home. Do you know where your house is?"

  The little Pichu turned over to look at the world with her heavy eyes. She lazily looks all over, pointing to a beautiful memorial, it's structure completely created with packed nevermeltice. Azrael stared at its illuminated beauty standing out in all of Tao.

  "So beautiful..." He whispered to himself. "We must stand under that one day."


  The two made their way beyond the memorial and to a large, one-floor house; white in color with pink and yellow-stained windows. The doors of an expensive Enigma bark, and outer patio of refurbished granite. Azrael stood in awe. Such a house must've cost a fortune, and much abundance of time. He looked from his view to see a Ponyta, dressed with a pink scarf and shades, pinning a sign on the front door. The Treecko became worried, as he ran to the front, with Maxine held in arms. The two children confront the Ponyta.

  "Hey, what are doing?" Azrael asked.

  The stern fire-galloper turned to the hooded figure, lifting her shades up. "It's business. Does this house belong to you?"

  "No-no, it does not--"

  "Then go away," she spat, as she continued nailing the sign into the Enigma bark door.

  The noises of her hoof stamping into the door woke up a little Pichu, comfortably wrapped in Azrael's arms. She immediately jumped at the sight of the Ponyta.

  "SABRINA!" Maxine shouted. "Whatcha doing here?"

  Sabrina's eyes lit up. "Maxine? Huh. Did not notice you. Uh, this your house?"

  "Yeah-yeah! I just came back after a LOONNG journey. I met this guy, and he got hurt, and we came here, and now I'm here to come back--"

  "You're being evicted," Sabrina said, cutting the Pichu off.

  "What do you mean? My parents--"

  "--did not pay the rent. Sorry, Maxine, but the Alaris' are not here, so it can't be paid off, and now it's the Merchant's house now; courtesy of PK."

  Azrael got worried. He remembered Maxine telling him of her parents' sudden disappearance back in Lost Forest. He stepped up. "Madam, how much the cost to have the house back to the Alaris trust?"

  "About a good $1700 pokè."

  The large price stunned the Treecko. He picked his brain for an idea. Immediately, he replied. "We will pay you, just give us time."

  "WHAT?!" Maxine screamed,"We don't have that kind of--" Azrael covered her mouth with his hand.

  "Of course we do! We DO have the alleged currency to DO so! Just err... Give us some time for me to ring it up."

  Sabrina gave a stern look to Azrael. Her fierce expression had the grass-type back up two steps. She spat an ember, putting her shades down to her eyes.

  "Alright, then. You have before high noon tomorrow to pay me back, or it's mine for the takin'. Got it?"

  The two Rogues nodded, as the Ponyta galloped into the Tao Plaza. Azrael let out a sigh. Maxine went into panic, little sparks traveled through her pink cheeks.

  "What are we gonna do? HOW DO WE GET THAT KINDA MONEY?!"

  "Maxine, please! Calm down." Maxine did what Azrael instructed. He continued. "We just registered as Rogues, yes? Perhaps we can finally be of use to our new boss..."



  The new Rogues immediately made due to the Law Firm.

  "So, you need $1700 Poké to get your... Friend's house back?" Devonshire asked.

  Azrael and Maxine nodded simultaneously, keeping posture to look formal.

  "Please, sir," Azrael began,"is there any job that we can fulfill that can give us that payment?"

  Devonshire gave his razor-sharp smile. "In fact there is." Maxine's eyes lit up in excitement.

  "Now," the Sableye continued,"I had just received your paperwork from Callahan. Team Obsidian, if I'm correct? Now, who chose that title?"

  Maxine hesitated to point at the hooded Treecko next to her, while keeping straight eye contact at their leader. Azrael gave a certain look at the Pichu. Devonshire laughed.

  "Ah, humorous! Now, about that job. Since the payment is so large, you will need a, rather, overly decent job."

  "Your definition of 'overly-decent' is?" Azrael commented.

  "Overly-decent, as in, this mission will happen way outside the boundaries of Tao Village."

  "Okay, so where's it gonna happen?" Maxine asked.

  "The job says that there is band of bad Pokémon that seem to have caused some trouble over the years. All you need to do is incapacitate them, and give back a 'bronze key' to the 'Supplier'. You will go to the City of Thieves to complete this task."

  "WHAT?!" Azrael screamed.