Chapter 494: A Clue
Following the Krookodile Chieftain into their stone city, Arthur and Skarner once again marveled at the creativity of wild Pokémon. The settlement had not only sand castles but also streets, communal latrines, a large plaza for the Krookodile to sunbathe, and even a barter market. It had all the makings of a primitive tribal society.
Pokémon were not mere beasts; intelligence inevitably gives rise to order. Sapient Pokémon will always find more suitable ways to live.
Upon the Chieftain's return, he was welcomed by a large number of Krookodile and Krokorok. In return, the great crocodile distributed the Talonflame, Diggersby, and Kabutops that Arthur had killed among his subjects.
This made Skarner grimace. Those were technically their spoils of war. He had a sneaking suspicion that one of the Chieftain's motives for inviting them to the city was to swindle them out of their loot. Arthur had only agreed to give them the Talonflame. But this Chieftain had no honor. He had tricked them, ambushed them, and had his followers snatch all the carcasses while they weren't looking.
By the time Arthur and Skarner noticed, the Chieftain was just laughing it off. He would admit his mistake, he would apologize, but don't expect him to return the food he'd already claimed. In that moment, these desert crocodiles were living up to their names. Yeah, I'm a crook. What are you gonna do about it?
Arthur and Skarner were helpless. They couldn't exactly start a fight with a ten-foot-tall Chieftain and an entire city of Krookodile over a bit of meat. From this, they learned at least one thing: a Pokémon's integrity has nothing to do with whether or not it's a leader. There was no such thing as a "public image" in the Pokémon world. Even a Chieftain could be shameless when it wanted to be.
Fortunately, once they were in the city, the Chieftain wasn't a complete jerk. He did order the remaining Krokorok to slaughter two camels to entertain his guests.
Sitting in one of the few stone houses in the city—the Krookodile preferred sand castles, so these stone structures were rare and likely reserved for guests—Arthur and Skarner waited for a Darmanitan to roast the camel meat. The local Pokémon didn't mind raw meat, but they also knew how to cook, and their skills were surprisingly good.
At first, Arthur had expected the roasted meat to be bland, but after the Pokémon repeatedly basted it with the juice of some unknown plant, the flavor was unexpectedly delicious. "This is pretty good, just a little... potent," Arthur commented as he ate. The plant juice had a flavor similar to wasabi; it was incredibly sharp and cleared the sinuses.
Skarner, who had eaten too quickly, was already moved to tears, his nose running. Specter and the others, however, didn't seem to mind. But if you looked closely, you could see that Specter would phase into its gaseous form for a moment after each bite to nullify the intense flavor. Being a Ghost-type had its perks.
"I fink zey did zis on purpoze, so we don't eat too mush," Skarner managed to say, his speech slurred by the intense flavor.
Fortunately, the city was built on a spring, so there was no shortage of water. After a few gulps, he finally recovered.
After a few more bites, Arthur put down the roasted meat and got down to business. "Chieftain, I'd like to ask you something. Is there a Flygon in this desert that is particularly fond of singing?"
The Krookodile Chieftain stroked its chin and gave a sly grin. "Krook, krook."
As Greninja relayed the translation, Arthur's brow furrowed. The Chieftain said he knew of such a Flygon, but if Arthur wanted the information, he would have to do something for him first. It seemed his lack of honor was becoming a habit. The name Krookodile really did suit him.
Arthur's expression darkened. This made the Chieftain's own expression shift, and it quickly added more details. Greninja continued to translate.
"He says he really does know, he's not lying. It's a female Flygon, about two hundred years old. She loves to sing and is especially friendly with humans. The way they roast their meat and the recipe for the sauce were both taught to them by that Flygon. And according to the merchant caravans that occasionally come through the desert, the songs she sings aren't in the local language; they're ballads from the Kubfu Alliance."
Arthur shot to his feet. It's really her! The details were too specific. He was almost certain it had to be his little dragonfly. He finally had a clue.
His gaze on the Krookodile Chieftain grew more intense. Outside the stone house, Old Flame stood up, and inside, Specter did the same. For a moment, the Chieftain thought the human was about to turn on him.
"ROAR!" it let out a bluffing roar to bolster its courage.
The nearly ten-foot-tall giant, in that moment, gave Skarner the distinct impression that it was... bluffing? The thought surprised Skarner himself. What? No way. One of the Seven Chieftains, in its own stronghold, is intimidated by a human? You've got to be kidding me!
The desert was a harsh place, and life was hard. Combined with the frequent conflicts and lack of order, the Pokémon here were known to be so desperate they would even rob human caravans, and sometimes even military supply lines. The Pokémon of the Ashen Desert were far more savage than those in other nature reserves. The infamy of the Seven Chieftains was known not just in the Pokémon world, but was also a terrifying deterrent in the human world.
Facing the great Krookodile, a Chieftain known for its hostility toward humans, Skarner had initially been terrified. But the more he interacted with it, the more he noticed something strange: the Chieftain seemed to be more afraid of them than they were of it.
If the great Krookodile could read his thoughts, it would probably scoff. You humans, with your weak senses, you can't even smell the bloodlust clinging to your own kind. The more perceptive a Pokémon was, the calmer and more peaceful they were when dealing with Arthur.
But this time, Arthur took a deep breath and suppressed his own surging emotions. Impulsiveness wouldn't solve the problem. "Tell me. What do you need our help with?"
As he said this, his hand was already behind his back, communicating with Doublade through his thoughts. If the Chieftain's request was too outrageous, he wasn't opposed to a different method of communication. Of course, this was just a backup plan. Most of the time, he was a reasonable person. The only difference was whether he started with reason or with physics.
But this time, the Krookodile Chieftain was desperate. Even knowing that Arthur was dangerous, it had to make this request.
Greninja translated: "He wants our help to find one of his descendants who was kidnapped. It was just a short while ago, also by a group of humans."
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