DeliriousAbsol
Call me Del
I'm not really convinced by the tracking chip thing. Okay, so maybe it's illegal to use it to track someone – but am I to believe that nobody has ever used it to try and track Macro, the most wanted pirate around, anyway?
Yikes!! After reading this feedback I realised I'd made a heck of a mistake. Thanks for pointing that out! I guess that's a pantsing issue XD I've gone back and fixed it now (the same goes for the other platforms I submit to!), but I'll nutshell it here. Data chips can not be used for tracking, as it goes against pokemon rights. DL was given a tracking chip, just like Vector was in Glitched.
Chapter Eighteen
BackDoor hovered at a safe distance from the fleet of porygon z as they traveled back and forth in the blackness of System Sky’s north east corner. He had no idea what Yobi had been thinking when he designed Zero Day. The raichu had clearly incorporated the old data from the lone ‘Porygon’ of many centuries past, along with its upgrade ‘Porygon 2’ who sported a much sleeker design than its retro eight-bit predecessor. However, these things looked like they’d had their limbs pulled part, held in place by nothing more than an electromagnetic force. Their heads flopped and lolled about above their bodies, capable of turning a full three-sixty as they surveyed the area. Their three limbs seemed attached, but the two at the front moved around their torso along some invisible track. Much like BackDoor, their antennae was hidden away inside them, most likely their ‘tail’ which bobbed about like a rudder, steering the monstrosities through space.
One of them turned its bird-like face onto him, fixing him with crazed yellow eyes ever so briefly before turning back to inspect some blank canvas. To anyone else, it was merely looking around, but he’d received its message loud and clear.
‘D1m3nsssssi0n L0kated. W0rLd - unkn0wn.’
Ridiculous things couldn’t even speak properly. It sounded like some kind of incoherent, high-pitched buzz like a bug pokemon trying to speak with only its wings.
‘What do you mean ‘world - unknown’?’ he shot back.
‘Th4t isssszz f0r y0u t0 inssp3kt. 0ur j0b isss d0n3.’
The rest of Zero Day bobbed backwards and their bodies jerked erratically, sending their heads spinning with an audible whir. Their tinny voices chimed in ‘d0n3! Itssss d0n3!’ over and over until BackDoor was forced to grit his teeth and rush towards them, waving his paws in protest.
“All right! I get it! Back off!”
The porygon z turned their heads simultaneously towards him and their eyes swirled with a yellow light.
‘Thr34t d3t3kt3d! Thr34t d3t3kt3d!’
Tri-coloured beams shot from their faces straight at him and he let out a small yelp and dropped below them.
“Cut that out!” he barked.
With a wave of his paw, Zero Day were swallowed in a shadowy void and reappeared several feet away. Their bodies and heads still jerked unnaturally but they turned tail and drifted further away through System Sky.
Silence filled his mind once more and he turned back towards the ‘unknown world’.
“Morons,” he muttered.
The government fleet that had been waiting a good mile away at least began to move in, their golden hulls glittering in the starlight. Curiosity had clearly got the better of them, venturing closer regardless of the risk Zero Day’s impromptu return might pose. Those things were like carvannha, savaging anything that encroached on their territory that wasn’t one of them. It was like their eyes just couldn’t recognise what their mechanical brains could.
BackDoor span in a circle, cutting into the ‘unknown world’ with a golden light. It spread out into a glowing ring and the inside immediately softened into a watery substance. It swirled slowly, picking up speed until it gave off an ultraviolet light. His face split into a large grin and he bobbed backwards away from it, just in time for the fleet to arrive and snap up whatever unfortunate creature dared to come through it.
‘Any idea what world this is?’ a disembodied voice called from one of the ships, right into his head.
‘No clue,’ he replied. ‘Just like the other countless times.’
‘Well, I don’t know about you, but I really hope it’s not prehistoric times. I really don’t want to wrestle with a tyrunt again.’
BackDoor rolled his eyes. ‘It was one tiny dinosaur! Good grief!’
‘Tiny?! I have you know that thing could have smooshed me with its foot!’
BackDoor couldn’t help but laugh. A tiny electric rodent, crushed beneath the foot of an extinct creature. It was perfect.
Tinkling laughter came from the void almost matching his own. The hoopa’s humour died in his throat and his grin slowly melted away. A long, silvery tentacle reached from the tear, followed by another, then another. A couple of the government ships fell back while one dared to draw closer, the nozzle atop it glowing with a pink light.
‘BackDoor?’ the voice that reached him this time was different, deeper. ‘We don’t like the look of this. Do you think you can close it?’
Another tentacle snaked through, groping at the emptiness around it. BackDoor bobbed closer, but before he could reach it, a silvery white mass broke through, spreading itself out as the vortex propelled it forwards into something akin to a tentacruel. The jellyfish-like creature let its tentacles droop back down again and it remained stationary as it tried to take in its surroundings, although how was a mystery since the creature lacked any visible eyes.
BackDoor threw himself backwards and grinned once more, clapping his mitten paws together.
“Are you guys seeing this?!” he shrieked. “This is awesome! So awesome!”
Flashes of pink flew from the closest ship, striking the creature on its head. It raised one of its tentacles to deflect the next blast then brought it down onto the ship. Metal creaked and splintered as the tentacle snaked around it, crushing the ship until it was unrecognizable. The golden vehicle was launched over the heads of the remaining ships, many of which turned tail and fled, leaving their comrades to deal with the aberration.
BackDoor clapped his paws again and pointed at the jellyfish. “Are you seeing this?! She’s got to use this one! She’s got to!”
He laughed jovially and turned his back on the monster. Its tinkling cries filled the air as the fleet took aim, shooting at its head and flailing limbs. Socket’s face filled the space before BackDoor and he grinned widely.
“What is it, BackDoor?” she scoffed. “This had better be good, I was just having my supper.”
“Oh it’s good, all right! Look at this!” He pointed a paw behind him and Socket’s expression turned from pensive to shock. “I think we’ve found you a winner!”
...
Socket watched in sheer horror as the tentacled beast decimated two more members of her fleet. The ships that got too close to the void in their bid to stop the creature were whisked out of System Sky into the unknown. Every chain thrown at the monstrosity was torn to shreds and fell harmlessly away. The beast’s tinkling voice filled her office with a deafening intensity. BackDoor’s face was twisted into a euphoric grin as he looked from Socket to the massacre and back.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” he said. “My data readout tells me it’s some species of pokemon!”
“It’s not one I’ve ever seen!” Socket gasped out. “Send it back this instant!”
“Aww come on!” The hoopa’s feigned pout turned her blood cold. “Give this thing a chance! I’d say it’s a billion times better than a human. They’re more like super pokemon!” He rubbed his chin with his paw. “No, hang on… I can do better than that… ultra beasts!”
“You told me it’s a pokemon,” she said. “Whether or not it’s from our world, the law would still apply! Just because it’s alien doesn’t create a loop hole! Send it back! Now!”
Her eyes widened as something beyond the monstrosity tore her attention from the massacre. Tentacles reached out from the void, flailing as another jellyfish creature was dragged from its world into System Sky. The fleet reeled back from it into the first one’s flailing limbs and one of the ships was swallowed up into its hidden maw.
“Ooh, another one!” BackDoor clapped his mitten-paws. “They must be some kind of race. Whatever they are, they’re super amazing. Not like pokemon at all. I don’t care what my read out says, I like them!”
“BackDoor, listen to me,” said Socket. “Those things are dangerous. Even you are at risk. Stop them, and send them back.”
He rolled his eyes and sighed. “All right, fine. Ruin all my fun.”
The hoopa shot towards them and span in a corkscrew up their lashing tentacles, binding them in place with a golden thread. With a ‘hup!’ he tossed the first one back through the glowing gate. The next one met the same fate, soaring after its comrade.
BackDoor turned back to Socket and folded his paws. “There. You happy now? No ultra beasts for you!”
She stared over his shoulder and pointed a claw. One of the creature’s tentacles reached back out from the void. The golden thread fell away like water as the beast was expelled once more. Its flailing limb swung down into the side of BackDoor’s head and he vanished briefly from the holoscreen’s display. He turned his frown onto the creature but it span away from him and took off into the blackness of System Sky.
“Why didn’t you close the gate?!” Socket shrieked. “Quick! Before the other one comes back through!”
BackDoor shot towards the void and snapped his claws. The void closed with a sucking sound just as another tentacle reached through. Tinkling screams filled the air as the tentacle was cut away, leaving a stream of purple blood as it dropped towards the ocean below.
The hoopa let out a whistle and looked after the escaping creature. He turned back to Socket and grinned widely.
“Oops?” He shrugged.
Socket’s nose crinkled in a frown. She clenched her paws so tightly her claws cut into her pads. The little wretch…
“Oops?” she spat.
He shook his head and gave her a chilling smile. “We all make mistakes.”
...
Pulse City’s hospital ward was a small building situated just outside the busiest part of the city centre. It was an area reserved for helping the space pirates inhabitants, mostly consisting of apartment blocks, hotels and small super markets. Despite the contrast with the bustling entertainment centre and black market, it managed to blend in by keeping the same atmosphere. Billboards advertising the latest gadgets and video games were spammed over the tall buildings. Even the hospital had its own fair share of adverts. The walls were painted chrome and black, and the inside lacked the pristine white of the rest of System’s hospitals. In fact, it was grey. Clean (shockingly) but grey.
Macro perched on a seat just outside the minor surgery ward, leaning forwards on his knees as he kept one eye on the closed door. Anchor sat beside him humming to himself while scrolling over the screen of his wrist computer. Matrix had refused to stay, agreeing with Switch that hospitals made him uncomfortable so the pair had instead gone to the Moonlight Lounge to play Assassin Strike.
Hospitals made Macro uncomfortable as well, but he was adamant to stay. There was no way he was going to let DL wake up to find herself alone in the oppressive place. If it weren’t for her overreaction to having a small incision made in her left arm, they wouldn’t have had to put her under in the first place. They would have been in and out by now with just a few stitches and the reassurance they wouldn’t be able to be tracked any more. But no, she just had to be terrified of sharp objects.
The door opened and the smiling face of a mienfoo peered out at them.
“All done,” he said. “She’s starting to wake up but she’ll be groggy for a while.”
Macro grunted and pushed himself to his feet. The two space pirates trudged into the ward after the surgeon. The mienfoo nodded to the sleeping pachirisu who looked impossibly small in the large, low bed. No discrimination in Pulse City, everything had to be accessible to everyone. That meant all beds were designed for pokemon the size of a tyranitar and as such they drowned the smaller species.
“Here it is.” The mienfoo held out his paw. “We removed the old chip like you asked and replaced it with a new one using the details you gave me.”
The tiny microchip lay between his paw pads, both inconspicuous and ominous at the same time. Macro took it in his claws and held it up to the light.
“Huh,” he said. “Looks every bit like your everyday chip.”
“I think that’s the point,” said Anchor, still messing with his wrist computer.
“Well, it’ll be no use to Socket anymore,” said Macro. “Just a few minor adjustments and it’ll never work again.”
He dropped the chip to the floor and stamped on it.
It stared back up at him without so much as a scratch.
The mawile frowned and tried again. And again.
“What is this thing made of?” he said. “Steelix hide?”
Anchor brushed him aside and rammed his paw into the tile. When he stood back up, the microchip lay crushed to dust.
“Huh…” Macro scratched his scar.
Anchor nodded at him. “You’re welcome.”
“What was that noise?” DL’s groggy voice was somewhat incoherent and she sat up slowly, rubbing at her head.
“Don’t worry,” said Macro. “It was just Anchor being a brute.”
The granbull didn’t look up from his computer. “Well, I am good at it.”
A small smile played at her lips and she turned her sleepy brown eyes back onto Macro’s. Warmth spread through his chest as though someone had dipped his heart in chocolate fondue.
“How are you feeling?” His voice came out oddly weak and he diverted his gaze to the wall.
DL sat up fully and brushed her blue lock of fur back from her eyes. “I have a bit of a headache.”
“That’s normal,” said the mienfoo.
Macro had almost forgot the surgeon was there. The fighting pokemon busied about beside the pachirisu as he filled a glass of water. She gratefully accepted it and gulped it down loudly.
“I’ll have them send in some light breakfast,” he said. “And I’ll check on you again later on. Okay?”
Before any of them could respond, the mienfoo trotted from the ward and the doors swung loosely back and forth behind him.
“Refreshments aren’t a bad idea, actually.” Anchor finally looked up from his computer and turned to Macro. “Do you want anything?”
Macro narrowed his eyes. “You’re seriously gonna buy something from that overpriced hospital cafe?”
Anchor shrugged. “I’m parched. Besides, hospitals have gotta make money somehow, Cap’n.”
“I think they’ve made enough off us.” Macro folded his arms. “That procedure was alarmingly expensive and DL doesn’t exactly have health insurance.”
The pachirisu sank down into the sheets and glanced towards the wide window.
“All right, fine. I’ll meet you at Moonlight Lounge.” Anchor stomped towards the door.
The huge double doors swung back and forth with much more force than the mienfoo’s exit. It crossed Macro’s mind to stop them before they broke their hinges but DL’s plaintive whimper drew his mind away from them.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
“For what?” he asked.
“That you’ve had to pay for this…” She absently rubbed at the invisible stitches. “I… I’ll pay you back.” She clenched her jaw and glanced back to the window. “Somehow…”
“Look.” Macro moved over to her and flopped into a small plastic chair. “You don’t have to pay me back. It wasn’t much.”
“You said it was ‘alarmingly expensive’.”
He grimaced. She’d even used air quotes.
“I will pay you back,” she said. “But… I don’t have money. How about I work for you?”
He looked up with a start. “Work for me?”
“Yes. But rather than pay me, just keep everything until it’s completely paid back.”
“So… you want to be a space pirate?” He raised an eyebrow as she nodded then looked back down at his paws. “Wow. I guess I really do need to get you a gun.”
“I can pay you back for that, too,” she said.
“Don’t bother. I’m sure I can get one without paying. I might have to chase up some favors.” He slipped from the seat and gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “I’ll be back in an hour or so. Hopefully by then the doctor will have discharged you.”
“I hope so.” She hugged the sheet to her chest and glanced around the room. “I don’t really like hospitals, and this one is oddly grey.”
“Really?” Macro looked up at the bare walls. “I rather like it. Much less blinding when you’re coming out of a deep sleep.”
She chuckled, causing a small smile to play at his lips. He waved and pushed himself through the swinging doors.
His first stop would have to be Moonlight Lounge. He strongly doubted Worm would want to return any favors after he’d refused to sell him any coils. And even if he did sell him a gun, if he knew the sewaddle like he thought he did then it would very likely be missing its key component as a way of getting back at him.
Macro glanced over the pirates he passed, grouped in doorways engaged in drunken banter or bickering. A majority of them were rock, ground or dragon type pokemon with a couple of scrafty and scraggy mixed among them. Some of the pirates fixed him with a pointed glare that he met with as much confidence as he could muster. None of them made any advancement. The dragon types wouldn’t have stood a chance and the rock and ground types knew exactly what lasers he was packing.
Moonlight Lounge was as busy as it always was. Voices and sweat hit him like a wrecking ball no sooner he stepped through the door. He spotted Worm’s small green body on the bar instantly. The bug pokemon had his nose buried in a shot glass while the stunky runt sat beside him cheered him on.
“Good morning, Worm.” Macro leant on the bar beside the sewaddle.
Worm looked up from his shot glass with a start and frowned. “You just ruined my record.”
“By two seconds!” The stunky sipped at his own drink and smirked.
Macro raised an eyebrow at Worm. “I thought you already beat that last month.”
“Well, it doesn’t hurt to better yourself.” Worm nudged his glass towards the bartender. “Same again, Bit.”
Macro waved the mienshao before he could scurry away. “Occa and shuca cocktail for me.”
Worm’s brow furrowed and he tapped his tail on the counter. “I hope you’re not expecting me to pay, Macro.”
The mawile waved a paw and closed his eyes. “Never expected that for a second.”
“Good. ‘Cos you’re buyin’.” Worm jabbed Macro in the chest with a stubby leg.
The mawile absently brushed down his scarf and reached into his pouch just as the bartender returned with their orders. He slammed a ten credit bill onto the bar and Worm chuckled.
“You’re too easy sometimes.” The sewaddle pawed at his glass. “Or… are you just after something?”
Macro let out a single laugh and sipped his drink. “Maybe.”
“Oh, here we go. You stiff your old pal on coils that pirates have been demandin’ off me, even throwing threats, and now you want something.”
Macro sipped his drink again. “You didn’t manage to get hold of any?”
“No. I did not. Those things are like gold these days.”
“So there’s no sense in me cadging a laser off you then?”
“What do you want one for?” Worm eyed him up and down then frowned at his belt. “You already got two. Or are they in need of replacing?”
“It’s not for me.” Macro picked up his drink and scanned over the bar. “Guess I’ll snoop somewhere else. See you later, Worm. Good luck beating your record.”
The sewaddle tutted and turned back to his glass. The little stunky’s cheers started up and then were drowned in the chaos of the lounge.
“Oi, Macro!”
Macro stopped and looked around at the various pokemon. A familiar pink paw waved at him from a shaded booth. The small table was rather crowded. Anchor sat between a gabite and magmar while a bisharp sat a safe distance away on a metal stool. Any sign of bitterness had vanished from Anchor’s face, but Macro put that down to his beer.
He recognised the gabite as a Moonlight Lounge regular, but the magmar and bisharp were completely unfamiliar. A pile of dice lay scattered in the middle of the table along with credit coins and bills.
“We’re playin’ farkle,” Anchor told him. “You in?”
A slow smirk spread across Macro’s face which he hid behind his glass. Farkle… that might be an opportunity to win a few credits and maybe con one of the other players out of a laser. He looked over the strangers again, trying to work out what their lasers might be. He could rule out the bisharp. His paws were blades, rendering a laser completely useless. If he used any modified weapons they’d be cutting ones.
“All right.” Macro pulled himself up into the chair beside the gabite, spilling some of his cocktail on the leather seat much to the land dragon’s disgust. “Count me in.”
The magmar’s beak twisted into a sneer and he tapped the pile of credits. “You want in, you pay.”
Macro reached into his pouch. He didn’t often keep loose credits on him. He’d have to make sure he won if he was going to stay in the game long enough to get what he wanted, and he could guarantee the magmar would have it. He met the fire pokemon’s eyes and tossed a ten credit bill onto the pile, all the while keeping his own personal dice hidden in his paw.
“Cheapskate,” the magmar muttered as he gathered the scattering of dice together.
Macro pretended he hadn’t heard him, but kept his eyes on the magmar as he tossed the white dice across the table. They clattered, rolled and bounced until they came at a stop near the small pile of credits. Two fours, two twos and a three. The magmar’s snout creased and he shot Anchor a leer as the granbull jotted down the magmar’s score.
Macro chuckled under his breath. Ones mattered in this game, as did fives. And it was preferable to roll three or more of any number, although those were the most preferable.
The bisharp went next, neatly flicking the dice up onto one bladed claw and tossing them into the air like tiny pancakes. They pattered across the table, revealing a score of three sixes and two ones. The steel type thrust a blade into the air in a cheer and scooped the dice along to Macro.
“Full house,” said Anchor. “Nice.”
The bisharp closed his eyes in a smile.
Macro pursed his lips together as he took them into one paw. Using his trump dice right now was too much of a risk. He would have to rely on sheer luck.
He rolled the dice across the table and watched in anticipation as they landed on two fives a one and two fours. Well, it wasn’t terrible.
He set the one aside and re-rolled the rest of the dice. Three fives and a four. He could re-roll the four… but it probably wouldn’t do much good. He banked the fives and passed them along to the gabite.
The gabite completely failed his throw, not rolling a single scoring dice. He slammed them down before Anchor who had his own turn. After successfully rolling four threes and a one, he let out a sigh and waved a paw at the bisharp.
The bladed pokemon scooped all the credits towards himself with a gleeful squeal.
Macro narrowed his eyes and leant his head on his paw. If he was going to stand any chance of winning this and conning the magmar out of his laser, he was going to have to up his game. He wondered how long he could go without using the trio of loaded dice. He kept them locked in his fist, holding them so the sixes were against his paw. Hopefully that would send the weights towards them and roll him a constant nice set of ones when the time came.
Three turns and a lot of trash talking later, Macro was down fifty credits, despite the win on his third go. He begrudgingly watched as the bisharp scooped his winnings together and poured them into his bag.
“Off already?” the magmar grunted.
“Places to be,” said the steel type. “Besides, I don’t want to risk losing a decent streak.”
Macro quickly checked the time on his optical display. It had almost been an hour since he left the hospital. He really needed to get back and collect DL. He let out a sigh and watched as Anchor passed the dice along to the magmar.
“Come on! Give me some hot dice for once!” The magmar unleashed the dice onto the table and rammed his paw into his face as each and every one stopped on an unscoring number. “You have to be kidding me!”
Macro laughed and leant across the table to retrieve them.
“This really isn’t your day is it?” he quipped.
“It ain’t yours either,” said the magmar. “And it really won’t be at all if you don’t watch that mouth.”
Macro caught the gabite’s leer as he silently chewed on the end of a thin bone. Where had he got that from? Macro didn’t even want to know.
The mawile quickly threw the dice, slipping his own in with sleight of paw. The real dice remained clasped in his other paw and he watched with anticipation as three dice showed ones and the other two showed fours. He snatched the two fours back, deeply relieved that they were considerably lighter than the three he’d been holding. That meant his loading had worked. He tossed them, landing on a five and another one.
Macro fist pumped the air with a ‘yes!’ and gathered the dice back jubilantly. The gabite and magmar groaned audibly. Macro subtly switched out the three heavier dice for the originals as he pushed them towards the dragon pokemon.
The gabite snorted as he took the dice. “If you’d not been doing such a sloppy job, I’d be suspicious.”
Macro chuckled and tucked his paws behind his head, watching as the five dice bounced along the table to land the gabite on a one, three fives and a six. The dragon took the opportunity to re-roll the six, landing himself another five. He shoved them towards Anchor with a grunt.
The granbull didn’t even look up at Macro as he had his own roll, which he completely failed. He leant across the table and shoved the winnings towards Macro with his left arm. The mawile snatched it up with glee and tossed fifty credits into the middle of the table.
“Oh come on!” The magmar threw his arms in the air. “How am I meant to meet that?”
“I’m out.” The gabite leant back in his seat and looked up at the ceiling. “I ain’t wastin’ another credit.”
Macro felt a smirk spread across his face. “You could always bet your weapons?”
“Sod that,” said the gabite. “You fairy types are the bane of my existence. I ain’t travellin’ around without protection.”
“Me neither.” The magmar met Macro’s eyes with a frown. “What use would mine be to you anyway? You already have water and grass lasers.”
Macro shrugged. “Can’t hurt to have a backup. Besides.” He grinned. “Don’t you want to try and win everything back?”
The magmar met his grin with a scowl. With a defeated sigh, he reached into his belt and tossed a green-tinted laser into the middle of the table. Fifty credits from Anchor joined it and the magmar took the dice and tossed them into the air.
They rained down in a combination of three sixes and two fives.
Macro’s heart hit his stomach. He stared at the dice with his mouth ajar.
“Full house! ’Bout time!” the magmar roared.
He shoved the dice towards Macro.
The mawile gathered them together, switching them out for two of his own dice as subtly as he could. He had to play it safe and make sure his score wouldn’t come across as remotely suspicious. Three ones on his first turn might raise some eyebrows and earn him some pointed claws (and maybe even a new scar). He might very well roll three ones in the end result. But if he couldn’t roll something else decent to best the magmar’s score then he was going to lose miserably, and miss out on getting a free laser.
He grit his teeth together and tossed the dice, scoring two ones, two fours and a three. He gathered the unscoring dice, slipped out one for his remaining loaded dice and rolled again. The dice pattered across the table, landing at another one a four and a six.
With a heavy sigh, he took the four and six and clenched them in his paw. The magmar was beginning to look worried, and all three pairs of eyes were on him now. He tossed the dice into the air and let them fall. One of them span on its corner for a moment before landing flat beside the other scoring dice. Another one and a six.
A huge grin spread across Macro’s face and the magmar threw his arms into the air with a roar.
Macro quickly retrieved the pile, dragging the dice back towards him. With a quick and practiced sleight of paw, he gathered them up, switching out for the real ones and tossed them towards Anchor.
“Well done, Cap’n,” said the granbull.
Macro chuckled as he poured the credits into his pouch. “Pleasure playin’ with ya!” He slipped from the seat and tossed the laser in his paw. “And thanks for the new toy.”
“You’re leaving?!” The magmar rose to his feet and heat radiated from his body. “I don’t think so. You’re gonna give me a chance to win that back.”
“No can do,” said Macro. “I won it fair and square. Besides, I gotta get back to the hospital. I’m picking someone up.”
“Can’t do that with broken arms.”
The magmar reached down to grab Macro by the horn, but Anchor’s huge paw slammed down on his assailant’s. The magmar took a step back, meeting the granbull’s cold eyes.
“Fine,” the magmar spat. “Whatever.”
The fire pokemon fell back down in his seat, drawing an apologetic look from the gabite.
“Go quick,” Anchor whispered to Macro. “I’ll meet you back at the ship.”
Macro turned to leave but was stopped as Anchor added;
“Oh, and Cap’n?”
He looked back over his shoulder.
“I want my money back,” said Anchor close to his ear. “Can’t say I approve of you using your deceiving ways against your own crew.”
Macro winked and turned to trot from the lounge.